Advertisements are an annoying but necessary evil. Yes, they regularly interrupt your favorite shows but they also allow those programs to be given away to you for free. Plus, if there weren’t any ads, when would you get out of your favorite chair to go and pee? Me? I’ll gladly fast forward through umpteen commercials if those sponsors are paying for another Simpsons episode.
Having said that, I really do appreciate it when it’s clear that an agency has gone that extra mile to try and make their commercial enjoyable. Heck, if they catch my attention, I might even buy their product. The last time I hyped up a commercial on this blog was the Cadbury’s gorrila ad. That sure worked on me. I hardly stop eating Cadbury’s. Incidentally, they have released another entry to that ‘glass and a half full’ campaign which is just as hilarious. It stars eyebrows and good timing. Take a look.
Anyway, back to the main event. The other commercial that caught my eye recently is today’s great thing:
71. Volkswagen Ad “The Fight”
Just when you though Matrix parodies were getting old, the German car manufacturer releases this:
Unlikely Gallic ass-kicker Gilles Bellomi is the star. I couldn’t find much about the guy though it wasn’t for a lack of trying. I’m sure part of the problem is that i don’t speak French and can’t read what little info is out there about his past television and film credits. What I do know is that he appeared in at least one episode of “Law & Order: Paris”. First of all, what a shock. I didn’t even know there was a such a program. That Dick Wolf must be absolutely rolling in it. I know that there’s a London- set version coming to British tellys soon. “Law & Order: London” is set to debut this year, as a matter of fact. I wonder if they’ll try to do an American-length season or if it’ll just be the standard 6-10 episodes per season like other British programs.
Some good things about this commercial:
–Firstly, this spot proves my theory that everybody looks better when they are doing karate. I’m not saying that Gilles is unattractive–he’s fine– but all that kicking and punching sure doesn’t hurt his appeal. His boring German engineer becomes an enigmatic superstar.
–Secondly, the commercial is clearly an homage to the ‘burly brawl’ scene from one of my favorite movie franchises, “The Matrix”. Yes, it’s from the lesser-loved sequel “Matrix: Reloaded”, but I stand by my investment in the Wachowski vision. Watch all three back to back. They’re better that way. And try not to think too much about why The Resistance can engineer robot war-suits but not proper armor.
–Thirdly, this ad (created by London-based agency DDB and directed by Ivan Zacharias features a killer track–MJ Lan’s remix of “Keine Melodien” by Jeans Team. I’m desperately seeking it for my gym-going Ipod playlist.
–Lastly, since this commercial was first aired, over 100 complaints have been logged to the Advertising Standards Authority. It’s got to be doing something right.
Viva Le Kung Fu.
Kate McCabe Warehouse 
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