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.”
Visionary Filmmaker David Lynch Dies At 78
David Lynch, the filmmaker celebrated for his uniquely dark and dreamlike vision in such movies as "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive" and the TV series "Twin Peaks," has died just days before his 79th birthday. His family announced the death in a Facebook post on Thursday. The cause of death and location was not immediately available, but Lynch had been public about his emphysema. "We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There's a big hole in the world now that he's no longer with us. But, as he would say, 'Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole,'" the post read. "It's a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way." Last summer, Lynch had revealed to Sight and Sound that he was diagnosed with emphysema and would not be leaving his home because of fears of contracting the coronavirus or "even a cold." "I've gotten emphysema from smoking for so long and so I'm homebound whether I like it or not," Lynch said, adding he didn't expect to make another film. "I would try to do it remotely, if it comes to it," Lynch said. "I wouldn't like that so much." Lynch was a onetime painter who broke through in the 1970s with the surreal "Eraserhead" and rarely failed to startle and inspire audiences, peers and critics in the following decades. His notable releases ranged from the neo-noir "Mulholland Drive" to the skewed Gothic of "Blue Velvet" to the eclectic and eccentric "Twin Peaks," which won three Golden Globes, two Emmys and even a Grammy for its theme music. "'Blue Velvet,' 'Mulholland Drive' and 'Elephant Man' defined him as a singular, visionary dreamer who directed films that felt handmade," Steven Spielberg said in a statement. Spielberg noted that he had cast Lynch as director John Ford in the 2022 film "The... Read More