Nothing says love quite like twisted steel and shredded tires.
Wrecked cars, and their understandably shaken and contrite teenage drivers, appear in Carmichael Lynch's latest work for Subaru, which focuses on the automaker's safety record as part of its long-running and highly successful "Love" campaign.
In "I'm Sorry," a spot breaking today in 60- and 30-second edits, everyone walks away with minimal physical damage. Still, it makes us wonder if Mom and Pop will give these kids the keys again any time soon.
"We used real Subaru vehicles that were in real crashes," Brian Cavallucci, client national advertising manager, tells AdFreak, "and while there is always a risk in spots like this, we did our best to depict accidents that were representative of real-life scenarios."
Subaru has driven down this road before, showing horribly crashed cars in "They Lived," a memorable ad from 2014 that also touted safety. Real stories from Subaru drivers inspired both that work and the current "I'm Sorry" commercial.
"We get letters and emails sent to us, directly from our owners, with stories and pictures from vehicle crashes that they survived," often escaping "with nothing but bumps and bruises," says Cavallucci. "They send these in to thank Subaru for building safe cars that protected them, and their loved ones."
Another new spot, "Take the Subaru," employs a much lighter tone to convey the safety message, as kids reach for potentially dangerous items, only to be thwarted by their parents every time.
A spear gun and blow torch? Sounds like one heck of a Show & Tell!
Directed by The Corner Shop's Peter Thwaites, both spots are a tad edgy—"I'm Sorry" obviously far more so than its comedic counterpart—especially with young people front and center, and the notion of crashes hanging in the air.
That tension gives the brand's familiar "Love" refrain some relatable dimension and extra emotional depth. And it's refreshing to see a carmaker get under viewers' skin, and perhaps, grind their gears a bit, rather than sticking in neutral with happy-smiley advertising that doesn't take any chances.
"Our owners love their Subaru vehicles for a variety of reasons," Cavallucci says. "In moments when they have been in an accident, or someone they love has been in an accident, and their Subaru kept them safe, that is a moment that causes them to love their Subaru even more."
CREDITS
Client: Subaru of America
Senior Vice President of Marketing: Alan Bethke
National Advertising Manager: Brian Cavallucci
Advertising Production Specialist: Michelle Shoultes
Agency: Carmichael Lynch
Chief Creative Officer: Marty Senn
Exec Creative Director: Randy Hughes
Writer/Group Creative Director: Dean Buckhorn
Art Director/Creative Director: Brad Harrison
Head of Production: Joe Grundhoefer
Senior Executive Content Producer: Brynn Hausmann
Director of Business Affairs: Vicki Oachs
Talent Payment Specialist: Jennifer Knutson
Account Management Team:
Brad Williams, Adam Craw, Erin Zunich
Product Information Team: Robert Ar, Jonathan Bush
Brand Planning Team: Liz Giel, Meghan McCollum, Maddie Wolf
Senior Project Manager: Allison Sadeghi
Production Company: The Corner Shop
Director: Peter Thwaites
Managing Partner/Executive Producer: Anna Hashmi
Line Producer: Donald Taylor
Director of Photography: Joost Van Gelder
Edit House: Work Editorial
Editor: Stewart Reeves ("I'm Sorry"), Arielle Zakowski ("Take the Subaru")
Assistant Editor: Louise Robinson
Executive Producer: Marlo Baird
Producer: Brandee Probasco
Telecine: Adam Scott, The Mill
VFX House / Online Artist(s): Steve Medin, Volt Studios
VFX Post Producer: Amanda Tibbits
Audio Mix: Carl White, SisterBoss
Sound Design: Carl White, SisterBoss
Post Production Audio Producer: Annie Sparrows, SisterBoss
Music:
"I'm Sorry"
Music by Barking Owl
Creative Director : Kelly Bayett
Producer: KC Dossett
"Mahalla"
Performed by: Carolina Chocolate Drops
Writer: Hannes Coetzee
Music Supervisor: Jonathan Hecht, Venn Arts
