Cramer-Krasselt launched a new spot for the Porsche 911, entitled “Compete” which imagines what would happen if Muhammad Ali fought Muhammad Ali.
Tennis star Maria Sharapova and chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen also square off against themselves in the spot. The concept is that “Greatness comes from within…from pitting you against you,” as the voiceover explains. Footage of the two Alis, Sharapovas and Carlsens are interspersed with two racing Porches 911s and the connection is made directly with the line “Introducing the new Porcshe 911, the only car that could beat a 911.”
As Adweek points out, competing against yourself is a concept Gatorade used over a decade ago and, frankly, it seems like a message more tailored to an athletic brand. Here, it comes across as a bit self-congratulatory, emphasizing that the 911 is the standard for sports cars and that Porsche has stepped up their game with the new model, but the latter seems an obvious point to make (as that’s kind of the whole point in coming out with a new model in the first place). Still, “Compete” is a fairly entertaining watch, well-shot and edited even as its repetitive “you against you against you” voiceover strains a bit by its conclusion.
“The 911 is the benchmark for every other sports car ever made,” Cramer-Krasselt chief creative officer Marshall Ross told Adweek. “Every car compares itself to the 911. So the 911 doesn’t look to outside brands for comparison and improvement—it looks to itself to create the best car ever made with each new iteration. This is the car to beat. That’s a universal truth for all great champions: The person you really have to beat is yourself. “
Credits
Client: Porsche
Product: 911
Agency: Cramer-Krasselt, Chicago
CCO: Marshall Ross
Creative Director/Art Director: Rick Standley
Creative Director/Copywriter: Bill Dow
Agency Producer: Robyn Boardman
Group Account Director: Chris Hanley
Senior Account Executive: Cara MacLean