Was there a golden era of car advertisements, before health and safety and CGI got involved? Read on for the Autobunker hot take…
I am almost certainly writing this column wearing my best pair of rose-tinted spectacles, but it has finally dawned on me that modern car adverts are essentially duff. Apart from Jaguar’s ill-fated ‘copy nothing’ campaign from late 2024, I can’t name a recent advert that has inspired a conversation with friends or any sort of office chatter about a quirky new car commercial. Most modern adverts seem to be a generic family driving through an indistinct city showing off some overly-complicated tech that 80 percent of drivers won’t be able to fathom. After seeing modern adverts I struggle to remember the name of the car being featured, let alone any distinguishing music, action or effects that would be conversation worthy.
There are definitely some constraints that affect advert memorability that have gradually crept in over the years. The most dull-inducing dampener is the Advertising Standards Authority tightening up the rules on the levels of exuberant driving that can be shown on TV in adverts. This would rule out one of the most iconic adverts of the 80s being shown today, the inimitable Russ Swift piloting an Austin Montego on two wheels around an office carpark. A fine display of j-turns, jumps and handbrake turns results in a standing ovation from his colleagues in the adjacent building. In the final shot, Russ loses his accumulated cool points as he traps his jacket in the car door walking away, us Brits don’t like a poser after all…
There was more driving dexterity and a sunny soundtrack in Vauxhall’s 1987 Nova GTE advert, some incredible CGI-free stunt driving around a building site lets the leading lady sneak past a traffic jam on her way to work. The red GTE launching out of a massive sewer pipe was an image that sticks in the mind to this day.
Even if the driving was tame, memorable adverts were often made with a dose of humour, have manufacturers these days lost the ability to make us laugh? The Volkswagen Golf advert from 1990 with the squeaky earring resonated with viewers for such a simple but funny execution of an idea that leaves us in no doubt about the quality of the latest Golf. Bob Mortimer and Nicole advertising the Renault Clio still occasionally causes me to shout ‘Bob!’ at the top of my voice when I go to weddings.
Another piece of the puzzle for an impacting advert that seems to have been mostly forgotten is the use of iconic music. Ford launched an advert in 1991 showcasing their entire range, handing a ton of cash to Brian May at the peak power of his post-Queen career to belt out Everything We Do is Driven by You. The single was a top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic and played on the radio far and wide. I used to have a copy on cassette that I played on my Walkman virtually on loop, the whole time subconsciously thinking of Ford (maybe that’s why I ended up working for them). Peugeot were also masters of the iconic anthem, notably the 406 advert in 1995 that urged us to ‘search for the hero’. The ad was a slick, movie-esque production that appealed across the board, again with the song being played on CD players across the land, reinforcing the connection to the car and brand each time it was heard.
The drama of using pioneering special effects is hard to replicate these days, CGI is so normal that doesn’t even register on our radar anymore, perhaps another reason that adverts fail to hold our attention. There were some notable firsts in the 90s that really captured the attention. When Vauxhall launched the Vectra in 1995, the advert created a sensation with a pounding Bjork soundtrack and a huge budget splashed on cosmic special effects rippling all over the car. Volkswagen aced the music and CGI double in 2005, this time with the launch of the next generation of Golf courtesy of Gene Kelly. A dance remix of the iconic Singing in the Rain, combined with Kelly executing some distinctly modern moves made for a striking rework of the famous movie scene. The car didn’t even feature but everyone was talking about it (in a good way Jaguar…)
Even tyre manufacturers had cool adverts back in the day. I remember being astounded by the sight of an Astra or BMW skating around a rooftop carpark throughout the mid 1990s. Spectacular film work from a crane or helicopter captured drivers handbraking right up to the edge of a sheer drop, entrusting their lives to the German-engineered rubber adorning their whip. The BMW in the swimming pool also deserves special mention as a very cool advert from Continental.
One notable recent exception that struck a chord with me is the Ford Ranger advert from 2023. The ‘go break it in’ strapline captures the essence of how a rough, tough pickup truck should be used and abused. The driving scenes do the rough and tough nature of the Ranger justice, even if only a small percentage of people will actually drive it that way. I actually shared the link with some petrolhead friends and we all reflected on our mutual respect of the Ranger, definitely a win for the marketing team.
Media channels are so many and varied in number in the modern age, it is really difficult to create those advert watercooler moments that we all shared in the 80s and 90s. The chance of an advert getting multi-millions of views during a peak time programme is dwindling rapidly. As viewing audiences are diluted, budgets and imaginative approaches are being reduced at the same time.
So here’s a plea to the manufacturers, bring back some humour, bring back real stunts in adverts, bring back some on-screen characters and bring back some legendary straplines. You never know, you might bring back some customers.
The list of videos below are referenced in this column in chronological order. Autobunker cannot independently verify that the YouTube channels have checked or complied with copyright law by posting these videos.
Montego 1984
Vauxhall Nova 1987
VW Golf 1990
Ford 1991
Continental Tyres 1992
Vectra 1995
Peugeot 406 1995
VW Golf 2005
Ford Ranger 2023
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