Entertainingly overblown homemade ads for used cars are now part of a burgeoning tradition. But an Australian adman, backed by his agency, is throwing his hat into the ring to good effect.
The spot below for an old and battered two-door-hatchback—a 1999 Holden Barina worth maybe $2,000 at best—is mostly a sight gag playing on the slick tropes often used in commercials for new cars. David Johns, the owner, features prominently, complete with smug grin, suit (but no tie) and aviators. There is ample fake flame effect. There is dubstep.
While the ad has generated some intriguing offers for the car, like large volumes of unicorn tears, it's mostly an exceptional sales pitch for Digital Chimney, where Johns works, and which helped fund production of the spot.
Other creatives, like the "Buy My Volvo" maestro, have arguably done better (if much, much crazier) sales pitches for their unwanted rides. But the "Buy My Barina" YouTube video has generated more than 1 million views since July 13. Not bad mileage for a beater.