One day soon, drones will kill us all and/or deliver Apple Watches from Amazon. For now, they descend from the clouds with great menace in this rousing Audi spot from Venables Bell & Partners, which ranks among this year's most memorable commercials so far.
The minute-long aerial attack is harrowing in a cheesy way, mirroring its inspiration, Alfred Hitchcock's suspense flick The Birds. Much as that celluloid tale of nature run amok tapped into Cold War paranoia, "The Drones" plays on current fears about potentially dangerous, frightening or misunderstood technologies.
Here, the Audi A6 provides a safe haven. According to the ad, the car comes equipped with features that make driving more enjoyable and efficient, proving that "Advanced technology doesn't have to be intimidating."
While the concept is a slight stretch, the wildly watchable ad dovetails nicely with the nameplate's new tagline, "Challenge all givens." That theme also graces a second spot, "Teenager," which takes a radically different creative approach.
Thanks, Audi! I'll cherish your words of wisdom as I slog through our uncertain, mega-mechanized age. And just to be safe, I'll keep watching the skies!
CREDITS
Client: Audi
Spot: "The Drones"
Agency: Venables Bell & Partners
Founder, Chairman: Paul Venables
ECD: Will McGinness
Creative Director: Tyler Hampton, Lee Einhorn
Art Director: Greg Wyatt, Byron Del Rosario
Copywriter: Bryan Karr
Director of Integrated Production: Craig Allen
Executive Producer: Mandi Holdorff
Producer: Hannah Murray
Acct Director: Justin Pitcher
Acct Manager: Oliver Glenn, Natalia Montero
Prod Company: MJZ
Director: Dante Ariola
DP: Matthew Libatique
Executive Producer: Scott Howard
Line Producer: Natalie Hill
Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Adam Pertrofsky
Asst Editor: Marjorie Sacks
Executive Producer: Angela Dorian
Producer: Shada Shariatzadeh
VFX: The Mill
VFX Supervisor, 2D Lead: Gareth Parr
VFX Supervisor, 3D Lead: Simon Brown
Creative Director: John Leonti
Executive Producer: Enca Kaul
Producer: Chris Harlowe
Production Coordinator: Karina Ford
Music: Elias Arts
ECD: Vinnie LoRusso
CD: Mike Goldstein
EP: Vicki Ordeshook
Head of Production: Katie Overcash
Sound Design: Brian Emrich, Trinitite
Mix: Loren Silber, Lime Studios