Continuing our online stream of the automotive-related ads of the Super Bowl XLV, we now have a trio of teaser spots from Mercedes-Benz, which will be making its first advertising appearance at the game. According to the German automaker, four new models will be featured in the ads, with two of them making their world debut in the 60-second-long spot called 'Welcome'. You can watch the two teaser spots plus the making of the 'Welcome' commercial right after the break.
Chrysler, unlike other automakers that were teasing and showing off their Super Bowl ads well before Sunday's event, held back giving viewers their first taste of the brand's two-minute long commercial in the third quarter of the game. The new TV spot, called “Born of Fire," showcases the all-new 2011 Chrysler 200 and reveals the brand’s new tagline, “Imported from Detroit.”
The commercial, which features singer Eminem driving the 200 through Detroit, is as much about the brand and the revamped mid-size sedan as it is about Detroit and the town "that’s been to hell and back.” Overall, we'd say the ad conveys an honest and somewhat emotional message to consumers about the 200 as well as Chrysler in general.
“Super Bowl advertising is about making a statement and capturing the attention of the audience,” said Olivier Francois, President and CEO, Chrysler Brand and Lead Executive for Marketing, Chrysler Group LLC."‘Born of Fire’ is designed to generate conversation about the brand and the new 2011 Chrysler 200. The spot reflects where the brand is headed and pays tribute to our industrial roots.”
“The new tagline was created to convey the message that one does not have to cross an ocean to obtain luxury, it's available right here,” Francois added.
As touching as the Chrysler's new TV spot may be, we can't help but wonder if the rumors about a Lancia-badged version of the 200 turn out to be true, how will the Italians advertise the car in Europe?
With its three ads programmed to air during the Super Bowl XLV later in the day (Sunday, February 6), Hyundai wants to show the American public that not all compact cars have “uninspired design, cramped interiors and limited innovation”, as marketing portrays them. Two out of the three advertisements showcase the 2011 Elantra sedan, while the third features the 2011 Sonata Hybrid. Videos available after the break.
The first Elantra spot, called “Hypnotized”, will air during the first quarter and it “questions the idea that compact cars are as good as they can be”. It will be followed in the third quarter by the “Deprogramming” ad, which states, among other things, that “compact cars can be more”.
“We love the Super Bowl’s ability to transform over 100 million Americans into advertising aficionados, so we went with a playful theme that ties a marketing-driven conspiracy theory to our fresh take on the compact car segment, the 40-mpg Elantra”, said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. “Building from the first two Elantra ads in the AFC Championship Game, and 10 viral spots online right now, the Super Bowl shifts the campaign into top gear with what may be the biggest group therapy hypnosis session ever attempted”.
Last but not least, the fourth quarter will bring the “Anachronistic City” spot starring the 2011 Sonata Hybrid. By creating a sharp contrast between the car and a variety of obsolete devices, Hyundai wants to highlight its commitment to innovation.
All three ads are the creation of Innocean Worldwide Americas and feature the brand’s 2011 “New Thinking, New Possibilities” vision.
If this ad is to be taken seriously, the only difference between a late 1980s E30 BMW 325i and a Hyundai Excel is price and the engine / transmission layout. After all both have, “[A] plush interior, European styling [and] room for five.”
After all, niggling little details like equipment levels, brand image and build quality have never bothered car buyers before, right? Apparently not, as the Excel went on to become one of U.S.’s best selling imports, with 168,000 of the little blighters sold in its first year stateside. That’s a lot of, “Hun-days,” [sic].
So what if it had the looks of a three-year-old Toyota Corolla and was built in a place that wasn’t even a country sixty years ago; it cost just US$5,499 and in salesman speak that’s a damn good deal. There are probably innumerable benefits to owning a 1988 Hyundai Excel. Such as...uh...or maybe...um...and then there’s...oh.
It was cheap, yeah? And cheap is good despite what a certain fictional character may have said to the contrary. That’s true for at least the vast majority of cash-strapped Americans and almost certainly for Hyundai. Yes, it was front wheel drive and sure it had no outstanding qualities other than the price tag. The same could be said for many of the cars sold today, and you don’t see any of them comparing themselves to a German heavyweight.
So watch the ad and reminisce about a simpler time when men wore pinstriped shirts, martini lunches were often followed by cocaine afternoons and a balmy little upstart from the Sea of Japan had the verve to stick its fingers in its ears and stick its tongue out.
The numbers are in for last week's Super Bowl event and they show that the winner is General Motors with its Chevrolet’s spot, “Miss Evelyn’s Wild Ride”. According to Nielsen, an estimated 119,628,000 viewers watched two guys describing a woman’s wild ride in a silver Chevrolet Camaro making it the most-watched commercial ever. The previous record holder was a Doritos ad from 2010 with 116,231,920 viewers. GM's winning streak continued with the Chevy Cruze ad that came in second with 119.3 million views.
However, despite the record viewing number,
Chevy's lovely ladies couldn't beat Volkswagen's little Darth Vader in the Passat ad for the most favorite commercial of the game with a Nieslen likability index of 186 (the average score for the Super Bowl ads is 100, meaning VW's Passat ad was almost twice as liked as the average commercial).
The German firm's second TV spot starring the Beetle was the 6th most favorite ad [146 score], while Chrysler's 200 with Eminem, 8th [138 score] and Audi's A8 10th [127 score]. You can watch the ads after the jump.
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