Car advertisements provide some of the funniest content on our screens – but which ones stand out to you as the best and most memorable? The list below is just a sample selection, with some absolute classics. These classics inspire people with humour and wit, ultimately encouraging us to buy the cars. And we all know there is only one way to buy a car – through a novated lease.
10) Dodge – Seven Inches Longer
A tongue-in-cheek classic – this advertisement for the Dodge Durango, which was seven inches longer than the previous model, played on male insecurity, and a case of overhearing a conversation out of context.
9) Hyundai – Like Sunday
Playing down the marque’s award-winning car, Hyundai had a stab at people around the world pronouncing the name incorrectly. The ad shows manufacturers from all over the world managing to say it right – “like Sunday” – which didn’t always happen before the ad was made.
8) Mazda – Bringing Baby Home
This one is for all the mums and dads out there – the Mazda CX-5 is a remarkably safe car, packed full of features that will keep you from being involved in a collision. This is never more important than when you’re bringing your baby home from the hospital for the very first time!
Some of the best safety features in the car are also showcased here, including blind-spot monitoring.
7) Subaru – Combining the Parts
This large-scale commercial brings together all of the classic Subaru models of old, right from the very beginning. All of the cars drive into a mobile car wash station, and out the other side emerges the new Subaru XV, which is said to be a combination of all the best parts of all the best Subarus ever. Fitting.
6) Citroen – Dancing Robot
This was before the days of the Michael Bay Transformers movies – a brilliant bit of animation that showed the full potential of a Citroen car – a machine that can do anything, including turning into a huge robot that can dance around. Clearly, a metaphor. We hope.
It’s only a short ad, but it’s well worth the watch, and is certainly one of the most memorable ads of all time.
5) Volkswagen – The Force
Making clever use of one of the most recognisable soundtracks in cinema history, this ad shows a kid dressed as Darth Vader trying his hardest to make things around the home spring into life using nothing but ‘the Force’.
Nothing works, until his dad comes home driving the new Passat, equipped with Smart Remote function which can remotely turn the engine on. The Force awakens!
4) Audi – Old Luxury
Setting the scene in a surreal, aristocratic prison of sorts, this commercial pokes fun at the sort of person normally associated with driving (or rather, being driven around in) a stately sedan. Two people escape, and one is duped into climbing into the back of a Mercedes-Benz, which drives straight back into the prison.
His more astute friend hops in the driver’s seat of the new Audi A8 and drives to freedom, escaping the so-called “Old Luxury”.
3) Kia Optima – Slam Dunk
NBA star Blake Griffin jumped over the hood of a Kia Optima to win a Sprite Slam Dunk Contest – this ad is that video in slow motion showing Griffin’s athletic prowess, as well as the edgy front-end of the car. It was a huge success, and many, many more Kia ads featuring the baller followed.
2) Hyundai – First Date
Starring Kevin Hart, and one of many Super Bowl ads on this list, the Hyundai Genesis shows that Car Finder (a GPS location system) proves a useful tool when trying to keep track of your daughter when she goes on a first date with a boy you’ve never met.
Kevin Hart pops up everywhere, including hanging off the side of a helicopter, because nothing’s more important than making sure your children are safe! This commercial aired in February and has since had well over 15 million views on YouTube alone. That’s not counting the hundreds of millions watching the big game live.
1) Toyota – “Bugger”
There’s little doubt that this absolute gem from Toyota in 1999 should hold top spot on this list. It’s a great ad, even competing against other commercials with higher production values and modern special effects. A simple “bugger” was enough to make sure people engaged with this commercial, and the Toyota Hilux was left to do the rest of the talking.
And there you have it – 10 of the most memorable car ads ever. Did any stick out to you, or inspire you to get into a new car? Get in touch with Alliance Leasing today for more information on novated leasing, or just to have a chat about the best car ads in the world.
