Hudson Rouge recently launched the latest Lincoln ad starring Matthew McConaughey, taking the actor to a remote location in Iceland for a spot promoting the Lincoln Continental.
McConaughey, who, as you may recall, is the highest paid “creative director” in advertising thanks to his contract with Wild Turkey, shows off the Continental with the natural beauty of a glacial plain in the background in the 60-second spot.
“You might not ever just stand there, looking at,” the actor says at the beginning of the spot, over time-lapse footage of clouds rolling across the horizon. He adds that “you may never even sit in the backseat,” as another shot of the actor, unwinding in the backseat claims, “That would be a shame.” Continuing in this vein, the spot ends with the tagline, “That’s Continental,” followed by, “This is Lincoln.”
The spot follows the “That’s Continental” print campaign the brand launched in October, featuring ads shot by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz. It will make its broadcast debut on New Year’s Eve, but it’s already attracted a fair bit of attention online, racking up over three and a half million views on YouTube. Directed by Wally Pfister, well known for his cinematography work on films including Memento, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises and Inception, the spot is impeccably shot, with the breathtaking scenery offering an attention-grabbing backdrop for the vehicle. As with much of his work with the brand, McConaughey’s role in the ad could be summed up as “McConaughey being McConaughey.” Other spots in the campaign will roll out in the near future, some of which were shot in Los Angeles, and all of which were directed by Pfister.
“It’s fresh, contemporary and very visual,” The Lincoln Motor Company group marketing manager John Emmert said in a statement regarding the campaign’s debut spot. “While many are familiar with the Continental nameplate, we wanted them to see our all-new flagship in a whole new way. A car as iconic as Continental could only be shot in a unique locale – one not familiar to viewers.”