Climate Change and Changing Transportation Modes
The change that started in the 90’s when the cost of getting from A to B, was no longer just calculated in terms of fossil fuel consumption, but also in terms of cost to the environment, is accelerating daily across the world.
Scientific studies and data gathering, about the causes and effects of global warming, will continue to drive conscientious considerations of optimal transportation modes for a healthier planet, and the need for motivational advertising communication campaigns, to embrace a greener future of zero carbon emissions, will be an ongoing prerequisite for public and private cognisance of the need for change.
1. Nissan LEAF, Gas Powered Everything
Advertising Agency: TBWA\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles, California, USA
Production Company: MJZ, Los Angeles, California, USA
Japan’s Nissan LEAF, launched in North America in 2010, was the world’s first mass-produced 100% electric vehicle.
Directed by filmmaker Dante Ariola, TBWA\Chiat\Day’s inspired 2011 film scenario, posed the question ‘what if everything was powered by petroleum?’
Highlighting how absurd it would be if all appliances relied on internal combustion engines for power, the memorably produced commercial, with its amusingly clever, and brilliantly designed film props, is an advertising classic of note, that paved the way forward for motorists to consciously consider changing to electric powered vehicles.
(The Nissan LEAF commercial includes a brief scene, that takes an entertaining dig at Chevrolet, by showing a driver fuelling up a Volt plug-in hybrid, that after travelling a mere 50 miles, required its internal combustion engine to power an electric generator to extend the vehicle’s range)
2. Renault ZE, The Electric Life
Advertising Agency: Publicis Conseil, Paris, France
Production Companies: Big Nose, Quezon City, Philippines, and Blink Films, London, UK
In 1999 Renault and Nissan became strategic cross-sharing partners, and through their respective agencies, TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles, and Publicis in Paris, produced two commercials for their plug-in electric cars with the same theme, that became a popular industry talking point.
Directed by filmmaker Dougal Wilson, Renault’s ZE ‘The Electric Life’ commercial, reprised the very amusing, tongue-in cheek take on visualising a world without electricity and solely reliant on fossil fuels for energy, in another masterly produced scenario with superbly designed film props.
3. Nissan LEAF, Polar Bear
Advertising Agency: TBWA\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles, California, USA
Production Company: Epoch Films, Los Angeles, California, USA
Masterly directed by filmmaker Daniel Kleinman, the eco-friendly, all electric Nissan LEAF commercial, was filmed in Vancouver, Canada, with a real polar bear called Aggy.
The cinematic scenario of Aggy’s epic journey, with Actor Robert Downey Jr. as the voice-over announcer, was loved by many viewers for its symbolism, and praised by environmentalists for the commercial’s emotive message highlighting the degeneration of wildlife habitats caused by global warming.
(Some trade press petrolheads however, were less enthusiastic. Probably taking the commercial’s metaphorical depiction far too literally, dismissively described it as being unrealistic)
4. Renault Trafic Van E-Tech Electric, The Store
Advertising Agency: Publicis Conseil, Paris, France
Production Company: Soldats Films, Paris, France
Post Production and VFX Studio: Prodigious, Saint-Denis, Paris, France
Directed by multi award-winning Brazilian filmmaker, art director, and writer, Rodrigo Saavedra, Renault’s latest E-Tech ‘The Store’ commercial, is a charming visually-driven story, about how the transportation needs of businesses evolve over time, and how Renault vans always evolve alongside them.
Publicis Conseil’s inspired time-span scenario, and aesthetically produced commercial with outstanding era art direction and meticulous detail, features a soundtrack of philharmonic orchestral composer, and songwriter, Georges Delerue’s, “Le Grand Choral”, from the François Truffaut film, “La Nuit Américaine”.
5. Jaguar, Electric Storm
Advertising Agency: Spark44, Birmingham, UK
Production Company: Gorgeous, London, UK
Post Production and VFX Studios: MPC, London, UK
Jaguar’s all-electric I-PACE, high performance SUV commercial, directed by filmmaker Chris Palmer, stars Eva Green of 007 Casino Royal fame, a life-size, computer generated pet jaguar, and features a soundtrack of “Shutdown” by award-winning, British-Nigerian grime MC, rapper and record producer, Skepta.
The Jaguar I-PACE, capable of sprinting from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds, and travelling 292 miles on one charge, has been lauded by many industry experts, as the world’s first Tesla performance beater.
6. Honda-E, Not A Prototype
Advertising Agencies: Sid Lee, Paris, France, and Hakuhodo, Tokyo, Japan
Production Company: Gang Films, Paris, France
Post Production Studio: Nightshift, Paris, France
VFX Studio: Blockhead, Auckland, New Zealand
The all-new electric Honda-E advertising campaign, is not about showcasing a prototype vehicle that will never enter assembly-line production, It’s about a dream come true.
The Sid Lee website describes the Honda-E as; “a car designed from a blank page. It represents the power of believing, the importance of challenging conventions, and the beauty of dreams becoming reality.”
Directed by filmmaker Johnny Green, the storyline of the cinematic launch-film was aptly described on the ‘Best Ads’ website as; “fluid as the car itself, with full-screen imagery that highlights the details and the new model’s story.”
The soundtrack features a rework by French electronic music producer, Para One, of the “Girlhood” track from the French coming-of-age drama film, directed by Céline Sciamma.
7. Volkswagen Electrifying Movies, ITV
Advertising Agency: adam&eveDDB, London, UK
Production Company: Rattling Stick, London. UK
DDB conceived a series of 15 second commercials, for UK Volkswagen’s 2023 sponsorship of ITV’s ‘Electrifying Movies’.
Directed by Aircastle filmmaking duo of Jamie Cussen, and Will Beauchamp, the ’idents’ as they are known, for ITV channel program introductions and identification, feature amusing ‘electrifying movie’ moments, of Volkswagen’s Pure Electric and Plug-In Hybrid range.