Berlin-based Thjnk launched a new spot for Audi, reminding viewersof the importance of going to an Audi dealer instead of a random mechanic.
To do so, the agency makes said mechanics seem downright frightening. The spot opens on a mechanic as he sees a lone Audi driving down a desolate road. Soon the car’s “Service due” light goes on and another mechanic perks up. As the car drives on more and more mechanics emerge, until there’s a zombie-like army chasing the car, which makes it into the Audi dealership just in time, ending with the tagline, “Don’t let your Audi fall into the wrong hands.”
The spot, directed by Sebastian Strasser of Radical Media, does a good job of building atmosphere and mimicking the pacing and feel of a horror movie. Intentionally over-the-top, the ad aims not for the typical message of superior service, but “…the monumental showcasing of the eternal struggle between good and evil,” the agency said in a statement. If that sounds like a bit too much, there is something of a self-awareness to the approach, as Thjnk and Audi seem to be in on the joke.
Credits:
Client: Audi
Title: “Mechanics”
Agency: Thjink Berlin GmbH
Executive Creative Director: Stefan Schulte
Creative Director: Siyamak Seyedasgari
Account: Nicole Bierwolf, Hendrik Heine
Director: Sebastian Strasser
Production Company: RadicalMedia berlin
dop: Roman Vasyanov
Producer: Christoph Petzenhauser, Kathy Rhodes, Yan Schoenefeld
Casting: Julia Kim (US), Francesca Green (UK)
Editor: Paul Hardcastle, Trim Editing
Colorist: George K, MPC London
Score: Robert Cairns
VFX: Time Based Arts, London
VFX Supervisor: James Allen
VFX Lead Artists: James Allen, Sheldon Gardner, Steven Grasso