Audi presents the A8 as a meditative cube

Audi has launched a TV campaign for its A8 model that presents the car as a meditative sanctuary from the outside world.

Developed by Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo, the work follows a recent spot for the A7 ‘Sportback’, which depicted a suit-wearing city runner who becomes one with the car.

The TVC for the A8 shows a man meditating in the frame of a large box at a tranquil lake, on a rooftop overlooking a cityscape, and at a deserted beach. It then cuts to him seated inside the car.

The commercial is supported by print work that also features the car separated from its environment by a subtle box outline.

 

 

Campaign’s view: Both this and the spot for the A7 are pleasantly abstract and understated, and distinct from typical automotive advertising in that the emphasis is on the car as a concept and an enabler of peace-of-mind rather than as a product.

The idea of the car as a calm, private space carries more weight than that of the car as a means of finding freedom. Tokyo’s dense traffic means city drivers rarely get a sense of the open road. But, in contrast to commuters on packed rush-hour trains, they do benefit from comfort and room to think. As people see ever fewer practical reasons to own a car but invest more time and effort in finding a respite from the stresses of daily life, that is a strong selling point.