Car manufacturers know the public desire cars, but getting them to choose their particular car is not so easy. While having a reliable, economical and affordable vehicle is all well and good, if no one notices it, it’s all for nothing.
That’s where advertising comes in. Because of the huge sums of money involved in making cars, little expense is spared in the making of TV commercials, print ads and social media campaigns. While for some of us, cars may be associated with traffic jams, costly petrol, the occasional breakdown and seeking out affordable insurance, these ads bring a little magic to motoring.
And this year’s Detroit Auto Show presented some of the finest examples, with its Automobile Advertising of the Year Awards. The accolades covered five different categories: Broadcast TV, Online, Interactive, Print/Outdoor and Experiential, and the winners were chosen by 50 journalists and creative directors. Almost 20,000 online votes decided the Public Choice Award.
It was Honda’s night in the end. The Japanese firm bagged the Public Choice Award with its Illusions campaign, the Online Award for its Sound of Honda video, and the crucial Broadcast Award for its Hands commercial.
Hands featured a pair of hands holding a toy-sized Honda scooter, which was then transformed by the hands into some of the many motorcycles, cars, quads and motorboats that the company has built over the years.
The Sound of Honda video used data collected from Ayrton Senna’s 1989 record lap on the Suzuka circuit in order to reproduce the sound the engine made.
Hyundai also had a good night, having been awarded the Interactive Award with Driveway Decision Maker. Fiat landed the Print/Outdoor Award with its Letters advert, while Toyota and BMW were co-winners for their Tundra Endeavor and A Window into the Near Future campaigns respectively.
Hands commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wEjV2ekSwE
Sound of Honda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKj1RdsG8as#t=54
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