Insane Car Commercials and Advertising You Have To See To Believe

The auto industry makes up one of the largest advertising sectors, so it is no surprise that some of the most inventive, funny, touching and downright absurd marketing schemes were carried out by car manufacturers. In the pages ahead we’ll explore some of the more curious, influential and ingenious advertising campaigns put out by automakers. Some are funny, while others will leave you wanting more. They say to start with a joke, so our first is a bit of comedy from over several seas.

Toyota Hilux - “Bugger”

We’ll get this one off the list quickly here. Apparently, in places outside North America, “bugger” is a four-letter word. On this side of the pond, however, it’s little more than a witty Britishism. This commercial out of New Zealand was also aired in Australia. It garnered more than a hundred complaints and, judging by the comment section on youtube, started more than a few flame wars between Kiwis and Aussies, both claiming the commercial as their own. Officially, the advert was produced for Toyota New Zealand, filmed in New Zealand and had a Kiwi director. However, Australians are quick to point out that the lead actor is from Aus. This ad is only the first we’ll see from either of these countries and Toyota.

Ford - Ralph and Les The Cane Toads

Ford released this ad on Australian television back in 2012 for the Falcon. The spot features two cane toads having a humorous discussion on a roadway about the poor performance of four-cylinder engines before one of the toads - I won’t spoil which one - is mushed by the oncoming car. The ad ends with the tagline “Six-cylinder performance from a four-cylinder engine.” The shocking and gruesome ad raked in seventy-five thousand views in its first week alone and incited a knock-off from GM’s European brand, Opel, which we’ll take a look at in the next slide.

Opel - This Range Will Floor You

Opel, formerly known as General Motors’ European brand, was excited to show off the best in class range of their newest electric, the Ampera-e. Opel took a page out of Ford Australia’s advertising handbook and essentially recreated the Ralph and Les story, but with cockchafers, better known as May-bugs. In the advert, we see the two bugs having a humorous discussion about the reduced range of electric vehicles before one of the pair is smeared across the pavement - sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Opel had the decency to continue the story, following the bug to heaven, where God himself admits he didn’t know EVs could have such a range. While the car may be innovative, this commercial indeed was not. Stay tuned for our next advertiser, who has a fresh take on an old game.

Vauxhall Corsa - Hide and Seek

This commercial from one of the oldest manufacturers in Britain is fun, inspiring, and makes us want to go out and play. Vauxhall uses one of the most recognizable childhood games and expands it into a vehicular competition on the streets of London. The commercial sees Corsa owners utilizing the car’s small stature to their advantage in a game of city-wide hide and seek. This ad speaks to the kid in all of us and truly embodies the spirit of Vauxhall’s tagline - “Put the fun back in driving.” Where Vauxhall tastefully used games to inspire a sense of nostalgia, our next manufacturer infiltrated a kids’ game in a slightly uncomfortable fashion.

Mercedes Benz - Mario Kart 8

The world-famous plumber in red has finally chosen a ride fit for his Princess Peach. In 2014, Mercedes paired with Nintendo to release a DLC pack to promote their GLA series. The optional download features three Mercedes-Benz karts and a set of tires. Racers can now drop banana peels from the back of a brand new GLA, a 1957 300 SL Roadster, or a 1934 W25 Silver Arrow. While this indeed isn’t the first time real cars have made it into a video game, it is more than a little uncanny to see Merc in the Mushroom Kingdom.