By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

…and its messaging just seems more believable somehow than Toyota’s dubious made-in-America claims. Maybe it’s the Johnny Cash soundtrack.

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

Anyone else been noticing the current crop of VW commercials? While it’s always good to see consumers being trained to use less fuel, it’s also a little hilarious that making fun of the Prius never goes out of style. Maybe someone should pick on the new Insight for a change.

By Katherine Helmetag

AKA atomicalex

I snapped this cellphone pic while wandering around a shopping area in Vegas. The people over at Bebe picked a pretty good time to use tires in their ad campaign. These ads were on a lot of bus shelters, too. Too bad they used so many all-seasons. I can only spot two hi-po tires in that whole stack. What? Were they worried we’d miss the model if they used stacks of Azensis and P-Zeros?

While there have been many plugs for the new Dodge Ram pickup, nothing beats this campaign that Dodge is running at its site, clips of which you might’ve seen on TV. Head over to ramchallenge.com to check out this actually pretty clever reality-TV themed video series for yourself. The site is currently running the first episode in a series of four, which will show the new Ram competing in a variety of challenges from payload to offroad. And while it’s hard to gauge from only the first episode, what they’ve got so far is about seven minutes of absolutely decent advertainment. Watch!

Whatever agency has been putting together Audi’s spots lately has been doing a bang-up job. I mean, the Godfather-inspired Super Bowl spot was great, and this "Meet the Beckers" is even better. The basic premise is that people who drive BMW’s are obnoxious lead-foots, Mercedes caters to clueless old people, and that Lexus owners are wimpy parents with creepy children, and whether you agree with those characterizations or not, it’s refreshing to see a company mock their competitors so viciously. Seriously, when’s the last time you’ve seen a car commercial that features Satanic tweens? Enjoy.   

Lamborghini’s track-tuned Superleggara is a little pricey, but it sure makes an impressive centerpiece! The amazing thing about this pic?  The only things supporting the Italian Stallion are four tiny tea cups! Now, I’d have figured they’d have been reduced to powder from the weight of the car, but when you think about the incredible loads they endure during high-tea, it’s not surprising that they’re built so sturdily. If you’re in Toronto, you can visit this display in person at William Ashley China. Otherwise, check out some close-ups of this balancing act after the jump.

via Jalopnik

Continue reading "Coffee? Tea? Lamborghini?" »

On London’s New Oxford Street, Chevy put up the world’s first billboard made of pennies as part of its campaign for the Aveo. But in the space of half an hour, passers-by had picked it completely clean of pence. The incident gave ad execs ample opportunity for mugging about the Aveo’s ability to put money back in the consumer’s pocket, blah-blah-blah. But you kind of have to wonder if anyone who’d go through this kind of trouble for the most despised coin of all is really in the market for a new car. More pics below the jump.

Source: Carscoop.

Continue reading "Chevy Billboard Swarmed By London Penny-Pinchers" »

At around this time every NASCAR season, I go through a bit of withdrawal when the weekly Sprint Cup race broadcast switches over from Fox to some other network. It’s not that I really have any great love for Fox, but I do enjoy their NASCAR setup, and the announcers are the best. I love the cutaway car demos they do, I love that they actually give some airtime to the pit reporters. I love DW’s affable Southern charm and explosive mannerisms, and I even get a kick out of Jeff Hammond’s slightly unsettling bionic gaze. The easy rapport and conversational chemistry of this former driver/crew chief duo is unbeatable. What I’m not a fan of is TNT’s generic broadcast bots, who look like they’d be more at home narrating stock market activity on msnbc or something. Even with the addition to their team of sleepy and semi-retired driver Kyle Petty, who’s had a lot of experience watching racing from the back of the pack, they manage to miss all the important stuff during the race and carry on with the most completely insipid and generic banter. More…

Continue reading "TNT's Inset Ads: Even More Annoying Than Regular TV Commercials?" »

Ford of Canada, as part of its "Powered by You" campaign, has been making car commercials without any cars in them. Check out this mini-documentary on the making of its new human car ads, which recreate the shape and look of its current vehicle lineup using nothing but a few exterior parts and a troupe dancers. Don’t expect crash-test results to be made public anytime soon. To view the commercial only, click here.

Via AutoMotto