VIDEO: Audi A4 ads throw shade at Mercedes, BMW

In addition to the walk-around and active safety deep-dive videos of the B9 Audi A4, Ingolstadt’s US division has also released a series of ads for the new sports sedan with the slogan, “Intelligence is the new rock and roll.” These spots position the A4 as the smarter choice in the segment, and a couple of them aren’t afraid of throwing some not-so-subtle shade at its competitors to get the point across.

The first 30-second commercial, titled “Touch,” shows a man whose touch turns everyday objects into cutting-edge devices – for example, the old thermostat he adjusts becomes a cool digital one, his phone becomes a tablet and the analog watch he puts on turns into a smartwatch.

He then walks out of his house and gets to his “old-fashioned” car – which, of course, is a W205 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. His hand grazes the bonnet and, lo and behold, it becomes an A4, to his pleasant surprise. Let’s be quite honest here, the C-Class isn’t an outdated car by any stretch of the imagination; still, kudos to Audi for having the chutzpah to pull that one off.

The second ad, “Intelligent Statement,” is even more direct. It starts off with a static shot of an F30 BMW 3 Series, which then promptly gets covered by the Audi as the latter rolls up to a stoplight. “If you are going to make a statement, make sure it’s an intelligent one,” says the voiceover, upsetting pretty much every 3er owner in the process.

What do you think of these ads – are they a smart, tongue-in-cheek rib at its German rivals, or are they just unnecessarily outlandish and brash? As for whether or not the new B9 Audi A4 is actually as good as the brand says it is, you can read our review here.

GALLERY: B9 Audi A4 in Venice, Italy




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Jonathan Lee

After trying to pursue a career in product design, Jonathan Lee decided to make the sideways jump into the world of car journalism instead. He therefore appreciates the aesthetic appeal of a car, but for him, the driving experience is still second to none.

 

Comments

  • Andrew on Mar 17, 2016 at 10:06 am

    How about “If you wanna cheat, don’t ever get caught.”

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 3
  • Aaron on Mar 17, 2016 at 10:37 am

    Audi throwing shade is the funniest thing ever

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • Desperate time calls for desperate measures. Hehehe..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
  • seancorr (Member) on Mar 17, 2016 at 10:48 am

    Yeah the W205 isn’t that old and I think it can hold its candle against the B9 but the F30 is the oldest among the three and is on it’s way out. That being said newer is always better so the B9 will have the stage for now…until the G20 arrives in 2018.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 2
  • aqeef on Mar 17, 2016 at 10:54 am

    next month bmw and merc come out new ad of them smelling their exhausts while saying “still better emission than the 4 rings”. lol

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 0
    • Mr Fakta on Mar 17, 2016 at 10:19 pm

      They won’t, Germans actually helps each other. After all, it’s German engineering at stake

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • So when will the A4 B9 launch in Malaysia?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • But I think the new A4 is the ugliest in its class.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 11
  • old fashioned on Mar 17, 2016 at 11:56 am

    Call me old fashioned, but I do not really like the “flat” digital dashes of the newer cars.

    If digital is the only option, then the 7 series is my favourite at the moment with the dial trim on the digital display, until then, I prefer the classier physical dashes.

    Not to mention who still uses on-board OEM GPS solutions? With Waze/Google Maps offering traffic updates etc.. I never touch on-board OEM GPS solutions any more.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 4
    • Leafable on Mar 17, 2016 at 12:40 pm

      Waze is shit. They need mobile bandwith. New OEM satnav these day have live traffic feed anyway. Very unfortunate they not available in Malaysia. The majority of distributor in Malaysia often change the OEM system to “Made in China” crap for better profit margin.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
    • I’m pity you still live in the past. Digital in-car displays are the future. In few years time all luxury models will be implementing it, even non-luxury segment leader Honda have already made it standard in their new Civic, which i’m impressed btw.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
  • Bring back Bangle on Mar 17, 2016 at 12:17 pm

    Uh oh, Audi may have done a 7th gen Camry on the new A4. Not as fugly but so ho hum.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
  • Oil Makan on Mar 17, 2016 at 12:34 pm

    At least both the BMW and Merc doesn’t need to keep a bottle of engine oil in the boot.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 2
  • Leafable on Mar 17, 2016 at 12:35 pm

    Sexy virtual odometer! Move on the old fashion analog dial.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
 

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