While procrastinating instead of job hunting this evening, I searched YouTube for this ad. It was made by Clems and won Australia’s first Gold Lion at Canne in the early 1990’s. I’m willing to stand corrected if it was not the first but it was surely before the new metal they give out these days; the Platinum and the Titanium.
In all my time in advertising I always wanted to make an ad this brilliant. Not for the metal but for the emotional impact. I still cringe slightly at the last line but that is my only criticism. I love the single long shot, timed to perfection (before computers) so that we hear ‘speared‘ and then start to see the smash.
And while searching for this clip I discovered one of its creators, Mike Dowd passed away this year. I wish we were turning out ads just as good these days; something with an idea instead of the pretty, lifestyle, appeal to the masses shit we have thrown at us now.
In full disclosure: I chose to buy a very old Benz. Because of this ad. If I could, I’d own a very new Benz. Because of this ad.