- The 2011 Audi A8 is the centerpiece of a new 60-second TV ad that riffs on the 1947 children's book Goodnight Moon.
- The ad is a precursor to the German brand's 2011 Super Bowl ad, which will also feature the A8.
- Instead of saying goodnight to such benign things as "mittens and kittens," the A8 ad says goodnight to "gluttony" and excess in the form of tiara-wearing poodles and roast pigs.
HERNDON, Virginia — The days of automakers playing the sex card and promoting things like the Dodge Lingerie Bowl in the run-up to the Super Bowl are over. Case in point: A 2011 Audi A8 ad, which draws inspiration from the 1947 children's book Goodnight Moon and is billed as a "prelude" to the brand's Super Bowl ad.
In the book, which begins "in the great green room," a child says goodnight to such benign objects as "mittens and kittens" and "clocks and socks." The A8 ad starts with a view of a sprawling mansion and then whisks the viewer into a dining room with a groaning table laden with a roast pig and mounds of food. "Goodnight, gluttony," says the announcer.
"Goodnight, Fluffy," he continues, as the camera focuses on a pampered white poodle wearing a tiara. "Goodnight, stuffy."
"The (ad) methodically says goodnight to the age of old luxury, defined by gluttony and excess," said Audi of America in a statement released Thursday.
Audi explained that "consumer impressions are based in nostalgia and formed at a very young age." It said it is trying to tap into those memories with the ad.
The ad doesn't mention the high price of the redesigned A8, however. The A8's base price jumped more than $3,500 to $78,925 versus the outgoing 2010 A8.
Nor does it mention the EPA ratings on the 2011 A8. The EPA says the A8 with the 372-horsepower 4.2-liter V8 returns 17 mpg in city driving and 27 mpg on the highway. The 2011 A8 is also longer, wider and taller than the 2004-'10 model and bigger than some of the competition.
Audi is not saying what the A8's Super Bowl ad will look like at this point. It said the ad is set to debut in the first break after kick-off February 6 on Super Bowl Sunday.
The "goodnight" ad will have a national network debut on January 15 and 16 on CBS and FOX during the AFC and NFC divisional games.
Regardless of viewer reaction to the A8 "goodnight" ad, automakers clearly seem to be taking the more conservative route with advertising in 2011. The Dodge Lingerie Bowl — set for the 2004 Super Bowl — was famously controversial, with the auto brand backpedaling after the announcement and withdrawing sponsorship.
Inside Line says: We would have put The Cat in the Hat behind the wheel of the A8. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
awc1 says:
04:35 AM, 01/29/2011
This ad suggest Audi cars are more evolutionary, modernistic & state of the art. Well Done.
awc1 says:
04:24 AM, 01/29/2011
I've believe Audi's "Progress is Beautiful" commercial proceeds this "Goodnight" ad, both suggest Audi cars are more evolutionary, modernistic and state the art. Well Done.
itm1221 says:
03:00 PM, 01/18/2011
This isn't as bad as the chintzy Scion TC commercial that's just pathetic. It tries to make it out to be a fast sports car....right....BAHAHAHA
mercedesfan says:
08:19 PM, 01/17/2011
* Correction, the A8 sales I posted were only for the first 3 quarters. The actual yearly total was 15,000.
mercedesfan says:
08:17 PM, 01/17/2011
@storageman,
You have never been to Europe have you? They are without question worse drivers than Americans. There is certainly a large subset of the population who loves cars and drives extremely well, but that is also true of the States. The average European, though, is a worse driver than the average American in my opinion. This is primarily because they are aggressive yet don't pay attention. At least in the US inattentive drivers are usually defensive.
Also, Mercedes (and BMW) outsold Audi worldwide last year and even beat them in Germany. The A8, for example, sold 11,988 units world wide in 2010 while the S-Class sold 66,500. The only market Audi still leads in is China, and both BMW and MB saw bigger sales increases in that market for 2010 than did Audi. That isn't to say Audi's showing wasn't impressive, but the others were simply even more impressive.
storageman says:
05:12 PM, 01/17/2011
S class downright beautiful? 7 Series nicer than last model but beautiful? Lexus LS have you driven one?
Jaguar XJ , nice body but Jaguar please. Other than in the US Audi outsells all the above, and we all
know that in European countries people actually know how to drive unlike in America.
itm1221 says:
03:30 PM, 01/17/2011
"The A8's base price jumped more than $3,500 to $78,925 versus the outgoing 2010 A8."
Thats the first thing i thought when i first saw it haha, but if i had the money i would definitely buy one, but not because of this commercial.
vache1 says:
02:45 PM, 01/17/2011
The commercial is beautiful, but the A8 is ugggly. Stopping the video at 0:42 makes me want to buy an S-Class!
ryrybugatti22 says:
12:38 PM, 01/17/2011
sorry, meant @saunupe1911
ryrybugatti22 says:
12:37 PM, 01/17/2011
@adavis2493
The main reason the XJ COULD be the worst selling is because most people over look Jaguar. Most people don't know how changed the new XJ is. Plus, it only just came out