For BMW’s Super Bowl spot, “Newfangled Idea,” Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners look back at an entertaining (and slightly embarrassing) 1994 Today show clip with Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel in which the hosts act more than a little befuddled about the whole Internet thing (and the “@” symbol).
The flashback functions as a setup to BMW’s forward-looking electric i3. Couric and Gumbel appear in the car, talking about how they don’t understand what they mean that there is “nothing under the hood” of the car or that it was made in a “wind-powered facility.” It’s a pretty clever way of illustrating how much people’s ideas can change about new technology in 20+ years, and making electric-doubters wonder if they’ll feel silly for their questions in another decade or two.
If you’re wondering how the pair feel about the clip, Gumbel offers some insight in a behind-the-scenes feature released by the brand. “People are inclined to ask, ‘Aren’t you embarassed by that clip?’ — or ‘Aren’t you angry about that clip?’ I say, ‘No! I’m not at all! I’m amused by it.'” He added, “I watched The Jetsons years ago, so I kind of thought we’d be in a jetpack, ya know, flying over things. I guess one day we’ll get there, but for the time being, the electric car is a great way to go.”
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