Copywriter Critiques Audi Super Bowl Ad
/For the first time in a long time, I watched the Super Bowl from start to finish. At a Super Bowl party, no less.
As someone who works in advertising, I was curious to see the ads. There was only one that asked for action: Go Daddy.
So the commercials weren't exactly a clinic in direct marketing.
One ad, for Audi, made a huge mistake.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’d love an Audi. I’ve been a VW driver forever and so I’ve always longed to step up to an Audi S4.
Back to the ad. A guy driving an Audi shows up at a vampire party. His headlights are so bright that all the vampires die.
The message is: buy an Audi because it’s got great headlights.
How many people buy a car for the headlights?
Based on my (unscientific) research, people buy cars for:
- Engine power
- Comfort
- The warranty
- The low monthly payment
- Specific need (off road, big family, etc.)
- Brand loyalty
- The stereo
- Gadgets
- The color
But do people buy a car for the headlights?
One of my jobs as a direct response copywriter is to work out what’s really important to the reader. If I was writing copy for a car and I presented a draft to the client that emphasized the headlights, I think I would be fired. And with good reason.
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I'm a direct response copywriter based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I specialize in providing copy and content for the direct marketing environment for clients around the world. I increasingly specialize in sales pages and landing pages. Enter your info to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here.
