Back in ’93, McKinney & Silver, Raleigh, N.C., faced a formidable challenge: getting consumers to trust Audi again. The automobile company was in dire straits at the time, because of an ’86 60 Minutes report, which claimed that the Audi 5000’s allegedly faulty brake system caused dangerous "sudden acceleration." Though many experts called the story erroneous, it had a devastatingaand lastingaeffect on Audi’s credibility and sales. Seven years after it aired, Audis were still viewed as unsafe at any speed. Rebuilding the manufacturer’s reputation was essential.
Instead of relying on complex storytelling or dazzling special effects, McKinney & Silver creatives opted to get back to basics. They developed a simple campaign, spotlighting the product itself. "We needed to remind people that Audi makes some of the best cars on the road," explains David Baldwin, senior VP/executive creative director at the agency.
Viewers were suitably reminded. Sales began to go up, and a solid agency/client relationship was born. "When we first had them, they were selling around twelve thousand cars," Baldwin says. "This year, I think it’s almost seventy thousand."
Over the years, McKinney & Silver’s Audi spots have gone from simple to cinematic. Recent efforts include two adsa"Father and Daughter" and "Dog"ahelmed by director Robert Logevall of Bruce Dowad Associates, Los Angeles. "Father and Daughter" features a dad driving his little girl through the countryside, accompanied by a voiceover: "I keep thinking if I drive real slow and I take a lot of the back roads, maybe I can hold onto my daughter just a bit longer." In "Dog," the owner of a large yellow Lab takes his pooch for a joyride, while the VO says: "In my car, my dog is no longer fat and slow. He is a god. A fast, beautiful, drooling god." The commercials are "very human," notes Baldwin. "Since we’ve gained all of that credibility back, it’s allowed us the luxury of being able to talk about people, and talk about why they drive cars."
In addition to Logevall, the agency has worked with many other directors on Audi, including Mehdi Norowzian of bicoastal/international Chelsea Pictures, and Gerard de Thame of bicoastal HSI Productions. "We’re always open to what directors can bring to a project," says Regina Brizzolara, VP/director of broadcast services.
