7 Creative, Clever Car Ads That Always Make Us Smile
It’s easy to dismiss car ads as shameless, soulless attempts to grab our hard-earned dollars. But the truth is that the best automotive advertising, like automotive journalism, relies on creativity and imagination. This week, we decided to share some of our digital staff’s favorite car ads. Some of them we love as period pieces, others for their sheer bravado, and many for their clever humor. All of them succeed in making a for-profit company and its inanimate product feel—well, a bit more human.
We may or may not have bought a car based on these ads, but we’ll never get tired of watching (or reading) them. When you’ve had a read, let us know what advertisements spoke to you!
Awesomely Cheesy Datsun
I have ensured “there are virtually no options” for a better advertisement by picking the 280 ZX “Black Gold” advertisement from Datsun. While Datsun had plenty of awesomely cheesy ads for their flagship sports coupe during this time, none can top the mustachioed, laser beam and disco violin infused perfection created for the 10th Anniversary edition.
Go ahead, watch it. Tell me if anyone else on this list is “driven to the ultimate.”
Trust Stefan, Joe Isuzu Is the Best
In the realm of actual car advertising, I always loved David Leisure as the pathological liar Joe Isuzu. His smarmy delivery always makes me laugh. Then I started thinking about smarminess in general, and that led me to the late Phil Hartman. What a genius that guy was. So I humbly submit this pair of spoof car ads from, what I would argue, was peak Saturday Night Live: The Adobe from 1986, Hartman’s first season on the show, and the Chameleon XLE from 1993. — Stefan Lombard
Crazy People: Raunchy but Good
I spent a fair amount of time in advertising, both academically and professionally, and the whole experience left me chilly. Payback came with the 1990 Dudley Moore film Crazy People, about an advertising agency that tells the truth. Yes, this is where “Volvo—Boxy But Good” came from, but the Jaguar ad, at about 2 minutes, 20 seconds on this clip, is just classic. Beware: Strong language, but if this doesn’t make you laugh, you’re a Quaker. As in “oats.” And yes, that product is included here, too. — Steven Cole Smith
“Nobody’s Perfect”
I can’t help but think about the run of print ads Porsche had in the 1980s. Specifically, the one that will always stick in my head is the”Nobody’s Perfect” ad, where Porsche simply listed off the overall top 10 finishing order from the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans. All but one car was a Porsche. That sort of dominance is remarkable, especially at Le Mans. It feels like there was equal parts earned arrogance and tongue-in-cheek with the ad, and I’d say it certainly got the message across when it comes to just how impressive Porsche was on the race track in that era. — Nate Petroelje
Self-Deprecating Citroën
It’s charming when a carmaker doesn’t take themselves too seriously, and it’s hilarious when they poke fun at themselves. I can’t think of anybody who did it better than Citroën with their old print ads for the 2CV, which was a cheap, slow, extremely basic (but brilliant) little car that they built forever and barely updated. The ads are basically saying “yeah, it kinda sucks. And we’ve been too lazy to change anything. But it’s affordable and it’s charming as hell so, come on, buy it.” It makes me want one! — Andrew Newton
VW’s ’60s Beetle Ads
This list would be incomplete were we to overlook the VW ads of the 1960s. Whether it was “Think Small,” or “Lemon,” or the lunar rover quip that “It’s ugly, but it gets you there,” these ads have endured because of their simplicity, sense of humor, and ability to say more by saying less. These qualities are exactly what made the Beetle itself so beloved, and the harmony between messaging and product just wormed its way into people’s hearts. — Eric Weiner
When Peugeot Took Our Breath Away
Britain’s repmobile wars were at their height when Peugeot launched its 405 into the fray. It had to compete against fleet favorites like the Ford Sierra and Vauxhall Cavalier, so an explosive entry to the market was just what was required. The 1989 “Fields of Fire” campaign did not disappoint, as this run-of-the-mill sedan ran the gauntlet of blazing fields, accompanied by Berlin’s Top Gun–famous Take My Breath Away. It certainly took mine away, and the 405 soon became a top-seller.
I always liked the Volvo wagon commercial that showed a Ferrari pulling a trailer. It said something to the effect “Until Ferrari makes a wagon, this is it”…. That’s pretty neat.
My favorite ad featured an Arab terrorist who drives his VW to a busy restaurant with outdoor seating, pulls out a detonator, pushes the button, but the explosion was completely contained within the car. The caption – “Polo, small but tough”. Supposedly a fake ad created by an observant 15 year old with a sense of humor, it was disavowed by VW. Nonetheless it got a lot of air time. No questions about provenience, ways or means, but is a Polo really that tough?
I saw that ad as well but I believe it was only in Europe because the Polo was never marketed in the US. They had to pull the add because some people were offended.
My favourite is not for the typical humorous or clever advertising reason but for what looked like an error. It’s the RX-7 ads in the 80s where they were actually driving the car they were selling very hard down a windy road, clearly getting light on the wheels in spots. This is not typically done and you can really see they’re thrashing it. At first look they thought it looked messy and were concerned but Mazda approved the ad as it was, car being thrown about and all.
The 1983 Mustang GT ad with the state trooper. “The Boss is Back! And this time he’s wearing a badge!” Classic.
The Toyota Advertisement, “So Happy Together” was the best and funniest automotive ad that I have ever seen! Check it out on YouTube! I think that you will agree!
Early 1960’s VW ad. Raging snow storm, sound of a VW in the storm. VW arrives outside a large barn.
Narrator:
“HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW THE SNOW PLOW DRIVER GETS TO THE SNOW PLOW?”
Loud noise of snow plow starting up as the barn door opens and a a large plow with blue flashing lights exits the barn and heads down the road. IRRC the only words were those capitalized above.
Absolutely brilliant – my favorite ad of all time.
happy motoring everyone
bj
My favorite car ad has always been the iconic one for Ferrari with the silhouettes of a beautiful woman, a bottle of fine wine, and a 308GTB with the words “Decisions, decisions” below. With modern easily-offended sensibilities it probably wouldn’t fly these days….which is one thing that makes it iconic.
Those were posters sold in car magazines. I preferred the parody they had in Road and Track – a wino sleeping on a park bench, a bottle of wine in a paper sack, and a train locomotive, with the caption “Epicurean Dilettante.”
Since SNL parodies were mentioned – the “Mercury Mistress” was my fave.
There was an element of truth to it for car guys!
https://dai.ly/x359dd
I have tha ad, framed, in my office. A classic!
My favorite ad was for the Cadillac Catera. After extolling the benefits of leasing one there was a small pause and then a voice said ” Who is Liza Catera?
I personally get a kick out the current Wegovy (drug) ad that features 2 idiots wrenching under the hood of a stellar looking 1969 Mopar, except that there is no freaking motor in the car! There is a very long radiator hose sticking out front that apparently needs its clamp tightened, then one of the morons picks his tool bag off the ground and sets it down on the unprotected fender. And then they abandon the car altogether to go join in the Wegovy parade with a bunch of other morons, while in the background we can see the beautiful ‘69 Mopar sitting way too high, further proof that there is no motor in the car. I have no idea what the hell the drug is for, but I love that car! But maybe not the 2 wannabe mechanics wrenching on the invisible motor. AI advertising at its finest!
A Volkswagen add that was rejected said something like this: “If Ted Kennedy was driving a Volkswagen he would probably be president.”
It was in National Lampoon. The caption read “If Mary Jo Kopechne had owned a Volkswagen, Ted Kennedy wouldn’t have gotten in hot water.” VW sued NL and the mags were pulled from the shelves.
My favorite is the Cadillac commercial. Hot woman in spiked high heels mashes down on the gas peddle while saying “When you turn it on, does it return the favor”?
The Chameleon is almost exactly what I call a sleeper, something I’d build if I win the lottery. Lush inside, rust outside. By the way, that might make a good article for Hagerty. ‘What Sleeper Would You Build?’ Readers would sort their own engine/tranny combination plus every other goodie they’d want.
You missed the best one…
A 1960s ad for Land Rover which said …
“At 60 miles an hour the loudest thing is the engine”, A take off from a Rolls Royce ad which said the clock was the loudest thing you’d hear.
Rolls-Royce actually changed the clock, after this ad, so you could not hear it, at all… 😛
My favorite was a mid-60s Volkswagen ad showing Wilt Chamberlain with a basketball beside a beetle. The caption was “We tried, but we couldn’t do it. We couldn’t fit Wilt the Stilt into a Volkswagen.”
The little kid in the Darth Vader costume using the Force to start his parent’s VW cracks me up every time.