With Avengers: Age of Ultron almost upon us, the Marvel cross-marketing blitz–which already includes partners like Target, Dr. Pepper and Kellogg’s–is only getting started.
Longtime partner Audi, though, is taking a different route. Tony Stark’s automaker of choice, which will see the inclusion of the 2016 Audi R8, 2015 TTS and 2015 A3 Cabriolet vehicles in Ultron, has teamed with Muh-tay-zik Hof-fer to unveil a two-minute short directed by well-known comic book geek Kevin Smith.
Most importantly, the campaign allowed the guy who made Chasing Amy to work with his hero Stan Lee, (along with a few other familiar faces).
Smith, who owns real-world comic book store Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash and hosts AMC’s Comic Book Men, has found the perfect outlet to mark his first time directing an ad with “Stan Lee Cameo School.” Playing on Lee’s penchant for making cameo appearances in Marvel films (not to mention Smith’s own Mallrats), the clip also features the likes of Smith’s constant foil Jason Mewes, Sharknado 2‘s own Tara Reid, Mallrats co-star Michael Rooker and the original Hulk, Lou Ferrigno, who pays homage to his early ’80s show at the end.
In the midst of the marketing onslaught of Ultron, this one offers some B-List geek fun along with its relatively subtle branding.