The Road To Fame of Automotive Marques
The country of origination of marques, that defined their progression and development of distinctive personas, present creative advertising communication opportunities, for engaging chronicles, of how they evolved from their domestic markets, to the global, fame-and-fortune stage, of automotive manufacturing brands.
1. 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 filmmaker Rodrigo Saavedra, ‘The Store’ commercial, is a charming story about how the transportation needs of businesses evolve over time, and how Renault vans always evolve alongside them.
The soundtrack features philharmonic orchestral composer, and songwriter, Georges Delerue’s, “Le Grand Choral”, from François Truffaut film, “La Nuit Américaine”.
2. Hyundai ICONIQ 5, History of Evolution
Advertising Agency: INNOCEAN, Huntington Beach, California, USA
Production Company: O-Positive Films, Santa Monica, California, USA
The South Korean, Hyundai Motor Company Seoul’s commercial, for their new ICONIQ 5 SUV model, equates the advancement of electric vehicles, to the evolution of human language, navigation, phones, and televisions.
Directed by renowned filmmaker Jim Jenkins, ‘History of Evolution, stars popular American actor Jason Bateman, in various historical roles and cinematic scenes, highlighting how initial inventions of past eras, progressively, and beneficially, developed over time, like the all-electric ICONQ 5, with its innovative design, advanced technology, and more than 300 mile range, equating to a significant, zero-emission, leap forward for motorists.
3. Citroën, Inspired By You Since 1919
Advertising Agency: BETC, Paris, France
Production Company: Insurrection, Paris, france
Directed by esteemed filmmaker Francois Rousselet, the ‘Inspired By You Since 1919’ commercial, depicts a hitchhiker’s time-travel through the car manufacturer’s 100 year old history.
Filmed on location in Sierra Nevada and Barcelona, in Spain, the scenic and cinematic chronicle of the Citroën company’s iconic, and cultural impact on the freedom of travel, features a soundtrack of Supertramp’s hit, “Take the long way home” by English musician, singer and songwriter, Rodger Hodson.
4. Jeep 75 Years, Portraits
Advertising Agency: Iris Worldwide, New York, USA
The 66 carefully curated, black and white photographic portraits, spanning 75 years of Jeep’s history, from the battlefields of WWII, to Jurassic Park movie stardom, chronicles Jeep’s illustrious journey of many milestones.
The commercial’s impactful, actuality picture stills, of people and events, features a soundtrack of Hum Music, Santa Monica, California’s, arranger Kristin Dyrudm’s “Aerial” composition, performed by keyboard player Jim Cox, as the background to the first-person narration, powerfully penned by wordsmith Winston Noel.
“I’ve seen things no man should bear and those that every man should dare”.
“From the beaches of Normandy to the far reaches of the earth, in my life, I’ve lived millions of lives. I’ve outrun robots, and danced with dinosaurs. I’ve faced the faces of fear and fortitude, and witnessed great beauty in the making”.
“I’ve kept the company of kings and queens, but I’m no royalty or saint. I’ve traveled, trekked, wandered and roamed, only to find myself where I belong”.
5. Mercedes-Benz, Welcome
Advertising Agency: Merkley & Partners, New York, USA
Production Companies: Gorgeous Enterprises, Santa Monica, and Anonymous Content, Los Angeles, California, USA
Directed by filmmaker Peter Thwaites, the 2011, American Super Bowl Football Championship ‘Welcome’ commercial, celebrates the 125th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz’s groundbreaking automotive history.
The cinematic dramatisation of the strong bonds that exist between the old and new generations of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, and sacrificial crash-test cars, makes for entertaining viewing, as they all come together for a family gathering.
6. Mercedes-Benz, The Journey That Changed Everything
Advertising Agency: Antoni Garage, Berlin, Germany
Production Company: Anorak Film, Berlin, Germany
Post Production Company: The Mill, London, UK
The 3 minute short-film, based on a true story, centres on Bertha Benz’s decision in 1888, to ‘test drive’ her husband Carl Benz’s motorised carriage invention, on a 160-km journey from Mannheim to Pforzheim, and back again, was brought to life by filmmaker Sebastian Strasser’s masterly direction.
With the intention to motivate her husband to keep faith in the sustainability of his invention, and to prove to skeptics that his motorised carriage was ‘fit-for-purpose’, Bertha and her two sons Eugene and Richard, made their way to Carl’s workshop early in the morning while he was still asleep, and from there, started their journey, that became a milestone in the history of motorised transportation.
In reality, the history of Mercedes-Benz, is inseparable from the history of the automobile. Not only did they invent the world’s first self-propelled ‘motorwagen’ in 1886, Mercedes-Benz relentlessly continued with innovative engineering initiatives to introduce many automotive ‘world-firsts’.
Their long list of impressive achievements, include the Honeycomb Radiator in 1901, Electric Powered vehicles in 1906, the Multivalve Engine in 1910, the Supercharged Engine in 1921, Four Wheel Independent Suspension in 1931, Anti-Locking Braking System (ABS) in 1970, the Air Bag in 1981, and in 1995, the Electronic Stability Program (ESP).