Using suspense at the beginning of the advert is an excellent way to ensure that the viewer is kept focused on the advert and will not be tempted to switch the channel.
A small boy is then displayed, he is seen playing with a zoetrope which revolves very fast and in tandem casts shadows of the penny farthings on the adjacent wall. The penny farthing is amalgamated into the advert because it is in line with the circle imagery which is recurably used, the viewer will notice this as the narrative progresses. The penny farthing was one of the first modes of transports used in England, this takes us through the evolutionary process of transportation. The Audi is the new generation of car and relates to the penny farthing as being the first.
The Audi slogan “advancement through technology” clearly highlights the progress made through the years in the field of transportation and reiterates the point being brought across by using the penny farthing. Circle imagery is often used throughout the story partly due to the Audi symbol which consists of four circles linked up together.
The viewer is then thrown into further suspense when the curtain in the living room starts blowing furiously and an unknown man’s shadow lurks around in the background. This scene lets us realise the influence that the British born American director, Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock had on the story. He is world-renowned for his suspense thriller films and often used shadowy figures to create tension and suspense. This is apparent in a film he directed in 1950 called “The Third Man”, it also involved shadowy figures in the subway and had a theme about the regeneration of the circle of life. It uses the same genre which is apparent in the advert, which is called in French “Film Noir”, (translated into English this is dark matter). This is apparent in the advert because of the dooming music creating tension and shadowy images lurking behind in the background.
The father helps his son put on his coat, they seem to have a close relationship and are very content in each others company, proving the point made earlier about the father being a good family man and making the audience aspire to be like him. In addition this represents the quality of the car as a family vehicle. Side by side, father and son then emerge from the house, down the stairs heading for the glistening, sophisticated looking car, located in the grand driveway.
As the car sets off on its all important journey, the background is one of magnificent beauty with the sun setting and subtle ambiences of oranges reflecting off the black paint, which gives the car a glow and ensures that it is constantly illuminated and centre of attention.
The car is seen driving through many terrains and various different weather scenarios throughout the advert, this shows the viewer that it is capable of being driven under any circumstances. The family live in the countryside and clearly shows that the car can drive over the cobbled terrain with finesse and elegance.
Soon after, the car is depicted driving through narrow roads, the viewer is finally being given a glimpse of the interior of the car, which by this point is much anticipated, the camera then zooms in on the child who appears to be about five years old. He is tying up his shoe lace, which shows the ample amount of legroom in the car, he appears to be very pleased in the car.
Now faced with a bumpy terrain and the dimming light of its surroundings, the car has again outshone itself and performed sensationally, not disturbed by the terrain and providing a safe and comfortable atmosphere for its passengers, again strengthened by the image of the boy sitting in the back seat wearing a seat belt.
The car then drives through a modern tunnel, which contrasts with the ancient architecture shown previously. The fact that the car fits perfectly in both types of scenery shows it to be modern yet having the style to remain a classic. The car is then driving in the direction of the town and is confronted by a disturbing shadowy man in the tunnel. The story has added in this man to promote the cars good features further more by showing the strength of the car and how unphased the car and its passengers are by the rather dubious looking figure. Outside, the world is threatening and dangerous, whilst within the car, father and son are safe, stressing the Audi’s safety and security.
Mysterious looking buildings are sighted ahead, the weather takes a change for the worst, torrential rain starts pouring down, and the sky starts to darken. The rain droplets bounce of the car showing it to be resistant and powerful. As the car tackles the adverse weather conditions it passes a mosque and the viewer can notice the middle European architecture. I think that the passing through the mosque was not a random decision by VW Audi, but in fact a carefully thought out choice, they are trying to convey that this car is ideal for every one no matter their colour, race or religion.
The driver then passes through a fairground which inside its border contains a ferris wheel, coinciding with the circle imagery being used throughout because of the Audi symbol and also later apparent because of the circle of life, and the new Audi being the new generation of car. The ferris wheel is also being used because it is less safe than the Audi car and adds depth to the Audi car being very safe and secure. The child at the back is attracted by the bright colours of the fair ground.
Stopping at the traffic lights, the father taps impatiently on the circle steering wheel but even though he is faced with an emergency to tend to he does not proceed, this is because he has full confidence in the car that he is driving and knows that it will take him to his desired destination in time.
The cycle of the day has now also drawn to a close as they arrive at their destination at night and in full darkness. The father in a rush, mistakenly forgets his son in the back of the car. This emphasises less the rush that the father was in but rather accentuates, yet again the safety of the car and how this wealthy family man can trust that the well-being of his son will not be compromised inside the car. Another safety issue being conveyed is the child lock which purpose is to enable the back doors to be opened only from the outside as opposed to the inside of the car.
The father holds his son closely and together they enter the intriguing building. The corridor seems to go on for ever but as they reach the end of the long corridor, a closed double door awaits them and the suspense is at its peak for the viewer. A bright fluorescent light appeared through the gap of the double doors, a wash of relief is dominating the father’s face as he arrives just “in the nick of time”, then we get a brief and all important glance at the new member of the continuation of the circle of life. A new generation is born, a new born baby appears on the screen crying, the viewer is then confronted by a female singing choir, creating a very soothing atmosphere and releasing the tension after the action packed thriller of an advert has come to a halt. The light at the end of the corridor is significant because it is a well known cliché “light at the end of the tunnel”.
The screen then reverts to a black background. The Audi symbol, the four circles appears with a very powerful slogan, reading “Vorsprung Durch Technik” translated into English meaning “advancement through technology”. I think that the slogan’s power comes from the fact that it is German and their cars are known for their good durability and their remarkably fast engines, this is just a subtle reminder to the potential buyer that the car is a guaranteed good buy.
The strong slogan in German would also succeed in appealing to Germans living in England where the advert was shown on television. They would feel very proud of the engineering and great design, and to finish it off hearing the slogan recited in their mother tongue would greatly influence them to purchase the car.
A free-phone telephone number also appears below, this encourages people to call up, as they feel they have nothing to lose by dialling the number.
After that a woman narrator reads a long part of dialogue. I think that they chose a woman to read out the script in order to balance out the fact that the man was driving the car the whole time and this car can also suit the needs of a woman driver. This also reinforces the point about this being a family vehicle and a woman completing the family.
The dialogue is as follows: “Life is full of decisions (minor pause) some of the head, some of the heart. Take your next car for instance will it have a catalytic converter, which removes 95% of pollution? Will it be clean and yet lose nothing in performance? Will it have all of this at no extra cost? In short, will it be one of the next generation of Audi’s? Vorsprung Durch Technik as both your head and your heart would say.”
The music in the background while the woman is speaking is sinister and very mysterious, creating tension. The mood then changes as the music sounds harmonic and angelic, the choir then sings in a high pitched tone for a comparatively long period of time, enhancing the viewer’s suspense.
The woman narrator asks rhetorical questions. These questions help engage the viewer, making them think about their current car, whether it possesses the qualities that the new Audi’s can offer? The narrator also uses the figure “95%” which is cunning as well as realistic, not overplaying the brilliance of the car, yet succeeding in emphasising the high-quality of the catalytic converter.
In addition the voice over tries to imply that the car is also environmentally friendly and that by purchasing it, not only has your head made the right decision to buy the car, but your heart has too by being compassionate to the environment. This will ensure that the world remains clean and safe for the next generation, being the child and the new born baby.
To conclude, this powerful advert created by Audi succeeds in achieving its goal, being to sell their new generation of car to potential buyers. They have achieved this by using the evolutionary process of transportation dating back to the penny-farthing bicycle to today’s modern Audi car. They have also used circular imagery to promote the cars smooth curves and amazing ability to handle corners, reinforced through the constant use of object such as the zoetrope and the carousel being depicted in the background. The ‘new generation’ theme of the car is brought out by the birth of the baby and the new addition to the circle of life. This is saying that throughout the ages Audi will constantly bring out new cars in order to keep with the times, and always “advance through technology”.
With the help of Hitchkockian suspense methods and dooming background music the advert manages to entice the viewer, ensuring they remain loyal till the end of the advert.
The music being played throughout the advert also helps make it effective. The advert begins with classical music, and changes to become dramatic and gallant as the advert progresses, creating a heroic atmosphere as the car faces up to the tests being confronted with and succeeding. This is clearly apparent as the car confronts the pouring rain and the music gets louder and makes the viewer proud of the car’s performance and beguiles them to purchase it.
The car is shown to be safe and secure by protecting its passengers and proving to be a harmonious ride inside contrasting with the hostile environment and gruelling weather conditions of the outside world.
The fact the Audi is a family car is emphasised by the apparent bond between the father and son, exacerbated further by the closed space within the car and how content the two feel in each others company.
