32 Comments

Lazy use of royalty free vectors, I expect more from Audi and BBH. Its like 2008 all over again.
James
2010-09-30 11:06:00

It can be hard for car brands to continually reinvent themselves and keep their advertising intelligent and the brand aspirational. Audi and VW in my opinion, always seem to get it right and keeping audiences looking forward to the next. Awesome work.
Yush Kalia
2010-09-30 11:25:02

I think the problem with the ads is not the royalty free vectors, but the actual literal-ness of it.

If anything it lacks any imagination and as Yush said it might be hard to constantly reinvent yourself but its just plain bad.

Clearly shows the lack of creative thinking within the creative room much less the boardrooms.
Norman
2010-09-30 11:49:15

As an Audi driver of many years this looks poor
Get a new add team!
a j banks
2010-09-30 12:34:10

The idea is really good.

The execution is reeeaaally poor.
Simon B
2010-09-30 13:06:06

I think all the above comments are fair.

It's a nice idea that's been let down by the lack of lateral thinking. The vectors should be more interesting, both in content and execution.

Top marks to Audi however, nice of them to let BBH have the car so small.
Dickhead
2010-09-30 13:18:37

To predictable for me. It looks a little like the fist idea they had (if you could call this an idea) and then they just went for that one.
Winkelfehlsichtigkeit
2010-09-30 13:49:51

Even if it looked good, that would still be overshadowed by its total lack of originality.
Matt
2010-09-30 15:45:08

It looks like a 1st stage mock up of what the advert 'could' look like.
Rob
2010-09-30 15:47:13

Compared to all the other Audi ads I've seem this one is alittle tame! Though I'm sure they will add to it...
Touchred.
2010-09-30 16:32:00

Execution is poor, and lack of Audi's masculine oomph
Graphic Design Manchester
2010-09-30 17:54:28

I like 'em.
Will
2010-09-30 18:20:47

Mark Reddy can do no wrong! More imagination in his little finger than any of you hacks will ever have. Check the guys past before you attack his present/ future.
John Hegarty lll
2010-09-30 20:29:00

@ JH III, we're not doubting Mark's capabilities after all he follows directions from the creative team. They make the call on what to release. If yo can honestly say this idea is executed as well as it could have been, you're in the wrong business.
Dickhead
2010-10-01 13:34:47

they've got standout from all the usual car ads - but so what? A Big Idea Condensed is a big idea - if it's supported by something. From what I can see here, there is no big Audi idea. But it's probably in the body copy at the bottom.
Would they stop me? Yes. Would I read on or even think better of Audi? Probably not. Sorry guys.
mark
2010-10-01 13:43:27

Style
------
Content
Grilla Login
2010-10-01 13:49:50

@ James and others

I should point out that the images are not 'royalty free' vectors – they were all drawn by a team of designers at BBH. Despite the reaction here, I like them and think they make a refreshing change to the car ad norm. The vector style may have become popular in the world of graphic arts, but I doubt the average Audi driver is familiar with it.
 PatrickBurgoyne
2010-10-01 13:53:27

Looks suspiciously like a less well-developed Michael Place's excellent 'Dead Formats' poster series from 2003. Always loved that work, great early example of vector components creating a new object.

http://blanka.co.uk/Design/Build/Dead_formats/Chronological_order
Jobes
2010-10-01 13:54:02

Smart used 'Reduce to the max' when the introduced the, well eh Smart. Better concept in my opinion, but unfortunately the car didn't meet up to the expectations.
Double U
2010-10-01 13:58:49

I was up for this, and didn't get it. [comment deleted by moderator] As we accelerate into the third world, we will eventually get used to seeing ordinary ideas executed in a hurry. Audi can't be selling many cars to people who cannot afford a mortgage any more, so why should they spend their money getting half-way decent images made, when the in house art directors can do it in half an hour for a fiver while watching a re-run of The Office, or last night's episode of Big Brother?
Willie Ryan
2010-10-01 14:02:00

Sorry - I should have read the article properly. I owe Mark and Rich at BBH an apology, as I genuinely thought these were found images. I was entirely wrong.
Willie Ryan
2010-10-01 14:20:48

@JH III – The "My Dad can beat up your Dad" schoolboy comments are best suited on a You Tube link...

The designers past work is irrelevant in trying to justify this rather 'ordinary' campaign.



What are the ads advertising by the... oh that little matchbox car in the corner...!!!
Pat
2010-10-01 17:39:00

The message is a little lost on me. Is it showing that the A1 is a small car that can carry a dog and drum kit?
Adam
2010-10-01 18:30:21

looks a bit like a cloud of smoke ?
jon
2010-10-01 22:14:45

poorly executed, just look at MCP's Objectified poster for really good execution
Jon
2010-10-02 11:32:29

People need to keep their cognitive biases in check (pro-BBH/Mark Reddy/Rich Kennedy people will naturally post positive remarks and vice versa).

The concept had massive potential (I should know, I helped work on it at one stage - heck, it takes long enough to convince a client that the product is 'not always hero' and 'hot metal' shots will only achieve so much).

Will this execution sell Audi A1's? I'm not sure, but if this idea is executed better in the future I estimate it'll be successful.

This initial visual style is not new (I agree at some of the other comments about it looking similar to other posters - hand drawn vectors or not).

Also, why all the pseudonyms? We are all grown ups here.

If pushed a little more, this idea can go further.
Stephen Plaster
2010-10-03 18:40:43

Agree, Stephen.
It carries much potential, however, with that in mind it really should have been explored further. Graphically, its quite strong, conceptually its quite weak. Lets hope it has legs and we see some quality TVS.
mattwardle
2010-10-05 16:55:28

The concept had massive potential (I should know, I helped work on it at one stage - heck, it takes long enough to convince a client that the product is 'not always hero' and 'hot metal' shots will only achieve so much).
Joyeria en plata
2010-10-06 04:33:19

This stuff is so much better than anything any of the haters above are working on. Alex & Adrian are talented. Mark R. is a demigod. And these ads are clean, striking and intriguing. I mean really, it's an audi. It's very small. What more do you need?
nick
2010-10-06 21:42:04

Keep in mind that this current A1 is merely an exercise in styling to provide sales in the rapidly expanding 'Mini' sector. In fact there is nothing at all to commend this car. It is nothing more than a 'par for the course' compact hatchback. It doesn't have much room, it doesn't have much storage, it doesn't do anything revolutionary, it isn't too far removed from a Volkswagen hatchback, or a SEAT, or a Bravo. It looks oddly like the love-child of a Citroen C3 and an Austin Allegro. The A2 however, which went out of production in 2005, was in so many ways a far superior car. It had the lowest drag co-efficient of any production car, and its interior space-to-size ratio was remarkable. It was too revolutionary however, in financial terms, and Audi didn't make a single penny on it, so it was scrapped. It was way ahead of time though, even now, five years after its demise. Compared to the A2, this new car has very little upon which one could hang an original and clever ad campaign, so it doesn't surprise me at all that the ad is as unremarkable as it is. It suits the car, and it will appeal to the sort of people who will buy it.
tim spencer
2010-10-07 10:19:53

BBH need to update their 'resoucre' library.
Quentin
2010-10-08 03:04:36

yeah i know. its pending for long.
anjy jackson
2011-01-30 21:44:12

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