Green Police
Posted by David Darlington on 8 February 2010 | 10 responses
While we’re talking Super Bowl ads, what’s one to make of this:
Before the Audi appears, you’d think this was a spot from the RNC or some Ayn Rand Appreciation Society. I don’t think I’ve seen a stronger satirical indictment of the environmentalist movement.
10 Responses to “Green Police”
The potential problem is…it’s a satirical indictment of the vehicle’s main consumers.
I thought it was just meant to be funny. No indictment at all. Just fun. Because we all need to laugh more.
And, in any case, Cheap Trick = Awesome.
Mary– it probably WAS just mean to be funny. But you can easily read it as an indictment of the excesses of the environmentalist movement. Of course if you do, as Balta points out, buying the Audi means you support the Green Police.
I think the satire was entirely unintended, though pretty effective. There are folks out there who probably like the idea of “Green Police”, at least in theory.
Anyway, is that an anteater checking out the semi at the “eco” checkpoint? Win!
That is a great example of advertising gone way wrong. Overly long, not funny, and Balta hits the nail on the head. The spot makes going Green look Stalin-ish and unappealing to the already converted and un-converted alike. No way to penetrate the market Audi’se trying to expand sales to include.
Audi should fire the ad agency responsible for this mess and go back to the usual carmaker formula: Beauty shots of product on breathtaking mountain roads, scenic farmland/deserts, and edgy Matrix-like urban landscapes. Maybe even do all that in another :60 ad to demo its hybrid’s versatility. Maybe throw in a CGI effect at the end with original conservationist Teddy Roosevelt getting out of the car and telling us how “bully” the car is. Anything more than that seems like it might be a strain for Audi.
I was shocked by this one. I found it so shocking that Audi’s marketing team and the agency that developed this did not think people would find it offensive.
I cannot believe some people thought it was funny. Being arrested for picking the “wrong” bag. Police raiding your trash can looking for batteries. Funny?
I’m not sure, but I think Audi intended for conservatives and libertarians to like it because they will think it’s satire, while Audi assumes its leftwing customers will like it because deep down, that’s how they want the world to work. A win-win designed to appeal to both sides.
Well, the left wing customers didn’t like it one bit.
This was my blogged reaction: “Is Audi the official sponsor of the Tea Parties or something?”
When is PETA going to say something about the cruel treatment of anteaters? If they think putting Punxsutawney Phil under the klieg lights once a year is so harsh that it warrants replacing him with a robotic stunt double, you gotta think they’d object to putting furry critters in commercials.