From the perspective of a wise fictional narrator who has seen it all on the racetrack, this spot titled ”Test Drive” leads the viewer through highly visual metaphors that depict a few of the heart thumping moments that one would feel when behind the wheel of an Audi sport vehicle, including the new TT RS, RS 3 and RB Spyder models.
He observes that with these high adrenaline Audis, you aren't test driving the car but rather the cars are test driving you.
Salomon Ligthelm of Stink directed the piece for Venables Bell & Partners.
Credits
Client Audi Agency Venables Bell & Partners Paul Venables, founder/chairman; Will McGinness, partner/executive creative director; Justin Moore, creative director; Rus Chao, sr. copywriter; Rich North, sr. art director; Matt Keats, Matt Miller, associate creative directors; Craig Allen, director of integrated production; Matt Flaker, sr. producer. Production Stink Salomon Ligthelm, director; Jeff Baron, managing director/exec producer; Paul Ure, line producer; Paul Meyer, DP; Jay Hougaard, production designer. Editorial Final Cut LA Rick Russell, editor; Zoe Schack, assistant editor; Eric McCasline, Suzy Ramirez, exec producers; Barbara Healy, producer. VFX/Finish MPC Rob Hodgson, creative director; Ryan McDougal, CG supervisor; Jim Spratling, lead compositor; Jamie Loudon, producer. Music Squeak E Clean Productions Andrew Judah, composer/recording artist; Rob Barbato, creative director; Amy Crilly, exec producer; Stephanie Gocke, producer. Title Track “Square In The Gut” Sound Design/Audio Post 740 Sound Chris Pinkston, lead sound designer/mixer; A. Josh Reinhardt, Rob Marshall, sound designers; Scott Ganary, exec producer; Jeff Martin, producer. Color Company 3 Stefan Sonnenfeld, sr. colorist; Ashley McKim, exec producer; Katie Andrews, sr. producer.
Tonal, the strength training system combining revolutionary digital weight technology with personalized, AI-powered coaching, has introduced its new brand platform, “Power Progress,” and advertising campaign developed in partnership with Quality Experience (QX), the creative independent agency founded by Ari Weiss.
Directed by Aube Perrie of Pulse Films (UKMVA Director of the Year 2023 & 2024, UKMVA Best New Director 2021 and Webby’s Best Music Video 2022) with visual effects from The Mill NY, this brand film contrasts how the heavy chains of the past still shape how we work out today, with Tonal representing the future of fitness.
In addition to the brand film, the campaign includes cutdowns ranging from 90 seconds to 15 seconds, with even the shortest spot clearly connecting the old and the new. French director Perrie’s body of work includes music videos for Harry Styles, Megan Thee Stallion, and RM’s “LOST!”
“Sports marketing has had a long history of breakthrough advertising,” said QX creative chairman Weiss. “We wanted to launch with an idea as disruptive as the product itself. Not an easy bar to live up to. Like any great idea the insight is dead simple but the execution is unexpected and riveting. Great sports marketing doesn’t happen without great sports marketers and the team at Tonal shared our ambition to make the marketing as disruptive as the product.”
