Volkswagen Ad Named Best Super Bowl Car Commercial of All Time by Edmunds.com
Volkswagen Ad Named Best Super Bowl Car Commercial of All Time by Edmunds.com
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — January 22, 2013 — A Volkswagen ad starring a pint-sized Darth Vader using "The Force" on an all-new Passat has been named the Best Super Bowl Car Commercial of All Time by Edmunds.com, the premier resource for car shopping and automotive information.
The 30-second spot, which debuted in Super Bowl XLV, captured America's heart with a six-year-old dressed as the Star Wars villain miraculously starting the vehicle with his Jedi mind (and a little remote assistance from his father). The ad was so popular that it received eight million YouTube views in the days before the ad aired on television.
The other ads rounding out the top five are:
2) Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo "Dream" (1990) — A full 23 years after it was introduced, the Z32-series Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo remains a mesmerizing shape and a highly capable performance machine. And part of that mystique comes from this Ridley Scott-directed commercial, which was only shown once during Super Bowl XXIV and then never aired again.
3) Audi A6 "Through the Decades" (2009) — Audi takes full advantage of its extensive product placement budget (including providing cars to the sequels in The Transporter movie series) by putting Jason Statham through car chases in the 1970s, '80s and '90s before he gets an A6 for the contemporary conflict.
4) Hyundai Genesis Coupe "Epic Lap" (2009) — Drifting champion and stunt driver Rhys Millen takes a tire-frying lap of Road Atlanta in the then-new Hyundai Genesis coupe.
5) Ford GT "Everything It's Supposed To Be" (2004) — Director Jeff Zwart put Rhys' father Rod Millen behind the wheel of a Ford GT, dropped that car onto California's Thunderhill Raceway, and shot it ripping around the course in every way conceivable.
Edmunds.com offers the full top 10 list of the Best Super Bowl Car Commercials of All Time — including full videos of each spot — at The 10 Best Super Bowl Car Commercials of All Time.
A preview of car commercials slated to run in this year's Super Bowl can be found here. Edmunds.com will feature videos of the spots as they are released in the days running up to the big game.
Each year, Edmunds.com analyzes the effectiveness of automotive Super Bowl advertising by measuring site visitor traffic and other factors that indicate consideration of the featured vehicles. For a review of last year's analysis, visit Post-Super Bowl, Lexus and Kia Hold Biggest Gains in Shopper Consideration, Reports Edmunds.com.
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