PMK•BNC/Vowel launched an online spot for Audi promoting the new Audi A3 Sportback e-tron with “Plugging In,” a look at Bob Dylan‘s iconic electric performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
While comparing plugging in a hybrid electric vehicle with that historic moment is a bit of a stretch (it’s not like you invented the electric car, Audi), it makes a bit more sense when you consider that Audi is sponsor of the festival, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of Dylan‘s performance this summer. Of course the look back at the performance of Dylan going electric, which some say earned him enthusiastic boos from the audience (a claim others contest), will appeal to boomers, but the agency also mixed in interviews with modern day musicians in an attempt to appeal to millenials as well. These include Courtney Barnett, Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino, Jim James of My Morning Jacket and John McCauley of Deertick. The product reveal doesn’t come until around two and a half minutes in to the spot, following the question, “What’s the next plug-in moment?” with footage of the vehicle. It’s a bit of a rough transition, aided somewhat by declaring the brand a “Proud Sponsor of the 2015 Folk Festival” and ending with the line “Plugging in changes everything, and there’s no looking back.
Credits:
Client: Audi
Spot: “Plugging In”
Executive Producer: Joseph Assad
Director: Phil Pinto
Narration: Holly Laessig
Agency: PMK•BNC/Vowel
Production Company: One Thousand Percent
Producer: Tyler Byrne, Kristopher Rey-Talley & Rebecca Assing
Director of Photography: Sam Wootton
2nd Unit Director: Antonio Santos
Associate Producer: Victoria Lada
Editorial: One Thousand Percent
Editor: David Yoonha Park & Ryan Dickie
Post Producer: Kristopher Rey-Talley
VFX Company: Motion Atelier
Nuke Artist: Paulo Dias
Titles/Graphics: Wax Magazine
Animation: Konrad & Paul
Sound Designer: Colin Alexander
Mixer: Greg Tobler