BRW USA director Erik Van Wyk discovers two-wheeled adventures aren’t for everyone in the humorous new South African market :75 “Easy Riders” for Volkswagen out of Ogilvy, Cape Town.
Produced by Johannesburg-based production house Bouffant, the spot features two family men setting out to experience the macho freedom of a motorcycle road trip, only to discover that they are better suited to adventure in the comfort of a four-wheeled Volkswagen.
“Easy Riders” opens with the triumphant intro of the Matt Monro classic “Born Free” and a shot of a man awkwardly preparing for a motorcycle ride, with his wife peering down in pity and disbelief from their home’s porch. His equally gawky riding partner arrives, stopping briefly for a klutzy high five before setting off on their ride. Then novice bikers then endure a ride “highlighted” by one being splattered by manure flying off of a truck ahead, both accidentally splitting paths at a fork in the road only to be reunited with one biker blinded by a map which flies out of the hand of his compatriot. The men eventually reach their grungy biker bar destination, though it is quickly apparent that they won’t receive a warm welcome.
Feeling defeated, one biker returns home and his spirits quickly rise as a Volkswagen Jetta pulls up and his vision of a road trip is immediately re-imagined. Back out on the asphalt, the two men nod as they pass a pack of bikers and glance at one another with the restored confidence in their mode of conveyance. The Jetta speeds past the motorcycles as a super appears, “For the driver in you. New Jetta.” The spot closes on the Volkswagen logo and tag, “Das Auto.”
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More