Audi’s Super Bowl LIII commercial turns to comedy to promote the carmaker’s all new e-tron models. The Audi e-tron GT concept takes center stage, with the Audi e-tron SUV making a cameo at the end. The 60-second spot, “Cashew,” directed by Ringan Ledwidge of Rattling Stick for Venables Bell & Partners, will air during the second quarter of the Big Game.
“Cashew” tells the humorous story of one man’s version of utopia, made complete by his vision of the perfect car. As the spot begins, viewers are transported through an ethereal field alongside a man walking. As he arrives at a rustic house, the man is greeted by his grandfather and ushered into a garage where the all-electric Audi e-tron GT concept is revealed. Delighted, the man pushes the start button and the vehicle comes to life. The man is then abruptly pulled back from his paradise as his chest begins to convulse. Back in an office setting, the man has just coughed up a cashew nut after receiving medical assistance from a colleague. As the colleague utters “You’re one lucky man. I was worried about you for a minute,” a look of utter disappointment and frustration paints the man’s face. The commercial concludes with the message: “A thrilling future awaits. On Earth. One third of all new Audi models will be electrified by 2025.”
The all-electric Audi e-tron SUV is anticipated to arrive in the U.S. in the 2nd quarter of 2019.
Credits
Client Audi Agency Venables Bell & Partners Paul Venables, founder, chairman; Will McGinness, executive creative director; Matt Keats, Matt Miller creative directors; Avery Oldfield, Adam Wolinsky, associate creative directors; Hilary Coate, director of integrated production; Matt Flaker, executive producer; Mike Ronkoske, strategy director; Mike Riley, strategy director. Production Rattling Stick Ringan Ledwidge, director; Joe Biggins, Jeff Shupe, exec producers; Richard McIntosh, head of production; Joey Zadwarny, line producer; Adam Arkapaw, DP. Editorial Work Editorial Rich Orrick, editor; Leah Turner, assistant editor; Marlo Baird, exec producer; Brandee Probasco, producer. VFX/Finishing The Mill Phil Crowe, chief creative officer; John Shirley, creative director/shoot supervisor; Anastasia von Rahl, exec producer; Dan Love, sr. producer; Vanessa Yee, associate producer. Music Beacon Street Studios, Venice, Calif. Andrew Feltenstein, John Nau, composers Sound Design LSD, Santa Monica, Calif. Rohan Young, sound designer; Susie Boyajan, executive producer Audio Post Lime Studios, Santa Monica, Calif. Rohan Young, audio mixer; Jeremy Nichols, audio assistant; Susie Boyajan, executive producer
Telecine Company 3 Tom Poole, colorist; Alexandra Lubrano, color producer; Jenny Montgomery, color assist.
After losing part of his right leg due to cancer, Terry Fox campaigned to raise national awareness and funding for cancer research by running his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada 42-km daily run, on his prosthetic leg. Fox, who died in 1981, is a national hero. His image will be on Canada’s new $5 bill.
In this two-minute video titled “Finish It,” the Marathon of Hope is recreated. It’s all done in one take, and it features an actor/marathon runner who uses a prosthesis on the same leg as Fox. CGI was deployed to make him look more like Fox. To further ensure the actor represented Fox accurately, not only did the actor and team watch and study many videos of Terry, but Terry’s brothers, Fred and Darrel, coached the actor on Terry’s running style and mannerisms. They also created a copy of Terry’s prosthesis for the actor to use for the shoot.
The message is clear. As the Marathon of Hope now marks its 45th anniversary, we now have the opportunity to “Finish It” for Fox, raising money and awareness to get a cure for cancer over the finish line, completing the work that Fox started. The public service film starts with Fox on the marathon run, eventually joined by a crowd of other dedicated runners from all walks of life who take over the race.
Mark Zibert directed via production company Scouts Honour for Toronto agency Diamond. The video features a never-before-heard version of the song “Courage” from Canadian band The Tragically Hip.
“We wanted to create a campaign that captures the magnitude of Terry Fox’s legacy while driving meaningful action,” said Peter Ignazi, chief creative officer at Diamond. “By revisiting the Marathon of Hope with such care and reverence, we aimed to reignite Terry’s mission and... Read More
