The World's Best Car Commercials

In the history of advertising, some of the most memorable and successful ad campaigns have been car commercials. Through humour, eroticism, futuristic imagery, lyricism, and patriotic emotion, these advertisements generated tremendous buzz and successfully rebranded entire product lines. Each of these ads appeals to one dimension of the relationship between cars and drivers, blending elements of fantasy and aspiration with the reality inhabited by consumers.

Chrysler's wildly successful "Imported From Detroit" campaign helped rescue the company after its bankruptcy and acquisition by Fiat in 2009.

The spot tapped into a simmering sense of regional identity - that of a battered but proud Detroit re-emerging as an underdog on the world stage during an era of globalization and prolonged recession. The ad's hook is its redefinition of "luxury" as a product of resilience, depicted as steel forged from the fires of adversity.

 Volkswagen's legendary "Pink Moon" ad from the late 1990's not only changed the perception of the brand, but it also brought the work of an obscure British folk singer named Nick Drake, who had been dead for 25 years, into the mainstream for the first time.

The ad uses lighting to gorgeous effect, illuminating the faces of young people by moonlight as they travel in the advertised vehicle along a quiet country road, while Drake's lilting vocals convey a sense of wonder and possibility.

Audi's R8 commercial, first aired during the 2008 Super Bowl, plays off of tropes from the Godfather movies about wealthy individuals threatened by powerful gangsters.
The notion of a menacing "new luxury" that threatens to displace old ideas about comfort and style is treated humorously, suggesting to the viewer that a new, take-no-prisoners generation of elite consumers has arrived.

During the 1990 Super Bowl, Nissan aired an ad for its 300ZX Twin Turbo that was directed by Hollywood legend Ridley Scott.

The spot was notable for its intense imagery and rapid cinema-style cuts, depicting a race between the driver of the 300ZX and other futuristic vehicles, including a motorcycle and a low-flying jet. The spot grabs the viewer's attention with its visuals and sound, as a voiceover explains that the images are from a dream of a car with unlimited speed and power.

In 2006 Mercedes Benz produced an ad that played like a miniature version of a suspenseful, erotic thriller. The spot cuts back and forth between shots of two lovers meeting for a clandestine liaison and a man driving the E-class with 4Matic through a snowstorm. The woman repeatedly assures her lover that her husband won't come back "in this weather" and the spot ends with the driver reaching his destination and repeating the same lines to his apparent mistress. With a blend of eroticism and humour, the ad targets its audience by contrasting human infidelity with the perfect reliability of the product.

What these advertisements have in common, besides creativity and marketing savvy, is a deep understanding of what appeals to consumers about driving. The sex appeal of cars lies in the power of movement, the forcefulness, propulsion, and explosive potential of being transported at high speeds. At times this can be represented by ease and rapture, at others by the intensity of determination and resilience. In all cases, it translates into a luxury that only discerning consumers can appreciate.

Sarah writes on behalf of TruckerToTrucker the online superstore for all your trucking needs. For Truck Sales check out the classifieds section, find everything from box trucks to used dump trucks for sale TruckerToTrucker can help you to get back on the road!