Audi Is Back in Super Bowl Ad Huddle
Fueled by positive response to its ad in the last Super Bowl, Audi has bought a 60-second spot to run during the first quarter of this season’s big game.
Audi claims its “Godfather”-inspired ad was among the biggest buzz boosters among the spots that ran in Super Bowl XLII. Collective Intellect and Nielsen Buzz Metrics rated the Audi ad as the second biggest post-game buzz generator. The ad replicated the scene in “The Godfather” in which a movie studio executive awakes in his bed to find himself engulfed in the gore of his horse’s severed head. In the Audi ad, an actor finds himself awash in motor oil and turns back the covers to discover the front grill of a Mercedes. The tagline was, “Old luxury just got put on notice,” preceding an image of a silver Audi R8 accelerating out of sight. Traffic to Audi’s site, www.audiusa.com soared 200% in the months immediately following the game and its R8 model became a top search item on Google.
And in a dismal sales climate for auto makers this year, Audi increased its market share among other imported luxury brands to 8.6%, up from 6.2% at this same time last year. Audi is hoping to build more big game buzz next February. “With this spot, we plan to build on the success we’ve enjoyed in 2008 to make 2009 a year of progress and market momentum for the Audi brand,” said Scott Keogh, chief marketing officer for Audi of America, in a statement. Audi’s ad agency, Venables Bell & Partners, which created the car maker’s last Super Bowl ad, will also produce the next one.
Audi returned to the big game this year after an absence of nearly 20 years.
That ad cost approximately $5.4 million. With 30-second rates for the big game up to $3 million, Audi will spend a cool $6 million on this single Super Bowl play.
