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.
How do you top one of the most viral brand videos ever made? Spoiler alert: you can’t. But when Dollar Shave Club tapped Zack Seckler to direct a new campaign to revive the absurdist humor of its iconic launch video, he knew he had a rare opportunity to create something special.
The brief was simple: introduce the concept of a physical “Club” that people would love to join while showcasing Dollar Shave Club’s products and embracing the weird. From script to direction and post, Seckler--an alum of SHOOT’s 2021 New Directors Showcase--was invited to help sculpt that vision.
The result is this “Welcome to the Club” spot which invites us to join a unique, seemingly exclusive but in reality an accessible and affordable fraternity of Dollar Shave Club members. But you need to know the password or more accurately, the two-word phrase--"shave money."
“The Club” campaign brings the brand back to its humorous roots, reflecting a new chapter after being acquired by Nexus Capital Management from Unilever in late 2023. The work takes Dollar Shave Club back to its disruptive beginnings and what made the brand a viral sensation from its inception in 2011.
