When are you most likely to see video ads presenting you with new cars and great deals? Any time of the day and on nearly all apps.
Video is king! It is the most popular and useful way to reach customers and present them with options and vehicles they might want to buy. Many dealers have turned to YouTube test-drive guides, TikTok reels, immersive showroom tours, and Connected-TV ads that are reaching buyers during stream time. Whenever you stream on your subscription-based television watching or you scroll through social media, these ads are there to offer some great vehicle choices.
What are some of the best car ads ever made?
Some of the best car ads came around before social media, internet, and various streaming services. These car ads are memorable, making them work well.
Mini
The advertisement or the Mini BL, which was produced between 1969 and 1980, featured a tag line that’s hard to forget. That line is “You don’t need a big one to be happy.” This makes perfect sense since Mini is all about small cars and driving fun. Imagine seeing that tagline today; would the world go PC on it and expect it to be taken down? What would you think if such an ad came across your social media news feeds?
Ford
In 1990, Ford published advertising for not one, but two hot hatches. They gave them fun little names. The XR2i and RS Turbo were the official names of these cars, and the nicknames were Madras and Vindaloo. These names and the catch phrase “How hot do you like your hatch?” were memorable and became part of car advertising for many years.
Jaguar
Another amazing ad that came about before the use of video ads for everything was for the Jaguar V12-powered models in 1986. This ad showed three amazing Jaguar cars, including one that has been part of racing history. The story was that all three sported V12 engines. The tagline for this ad was “V.Fast. V.Cool. V.12.” and it was easy to remember and caught on quickly. The racing machine featured in the ads was the XJR-6, which nearly clinched the World Sports Car Championship Drivers’ and Team championships that year.
BMW
You would think Aston Martin would have grabbed onto the famous James Bond tagline for its advertising, but this was actually done by BMW. In the 1980s, the BMW tagline became “Shaken. Not Stirred.” Which was one of the most popular lines in the James Bond movies. Robin Wright took the idea that the BMW engines were steadier than those from Mercedes-Benz and brought it to life.
MG
The famous automaker, MG, produced some of the most glorious roadsters in history, making driving fun and active on any road. By the early 1970s, the MGB was starting to look older than before. To keep this car relevant, MG created an ad with the tagline “Your mother wouldn’t like it,” which became the catchphrase for the brand. This became one of the sexiest approaches to automaking in history. The previous tagline was “Safety Fast,” which was pretty cool, but you can easily appreciate the new line and how this ad would quickly catch on and become popular with several generations of drivers.
Audi
One of the most famous Audi ads featured a failed bank robbery with the tagline “Can’t stop driving,” because the getaway driver didn’t show up at the bank to pick up the thieves, who are pictured outside the bank with hosiery on their heads while looking at their watches. This wasn’t the only time that Audi had a daring ad, and this ad could make a great comeback as one of the many video ads offered by the four-ring brand. This ad was for the discreet new Audi A4 in 2009.
Land Rover
Instead of leaning into taglines and video ads, Land Rover featured a visual approach worthy of Instagram. This approach was shown in many magazines and newspapers of the time. It relied on a strong image and no tagline. All it showed was two hippos sticking their heads above water with the Land Rover Freelander driving through the water behind them. This was meant to invoke the idea of adventure into remote areas of the world. This picture could easily be worth more than any tagline.
Video ads are huge and used for car sales in every media arena today. Car advertising has been around the block a few times, and impressive imagery coupled with memorable taglines has always been the way to go. What are some of the most memorable car ads that you can think of?
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