AdForum
Business Creative Report

The Most Creative Campaigns, Brands
and Agencies in Automotive

 
WHILE INNOVATION REMAINED IMPORTANT, MANY OF THE MOST-AWARDED AUTO CAMPAIGNS WERE DRIVEN BY STORY.

The creative landscape in the automotive sector looks familiar this year, with Volvo, VW and Mercedes-Benz still jostling for position in the top five (pursued in sixth place by Jeep, with its loveable Groundhog Day tribute). This meant that Forsman & Bodenfors passed the chequered flag first with not one but two editions of the E.V.A. Initiative – focused on safety equality – in the top five. But let’s shine a searchlight on BMW’s superb Cold War thriller “The Small Escape” at number two, which also enabled Jung Von Matt to accelerate into second place in the list of best-performing agencies. Interesting to note that both BMW and Mercedes (“Bertha Benz”) achieved awards show glory with reality-inspired stories, which may set a trend. Copywriters: start your inspiration engines.

Most awarded
campaigns, brands &
agencies in
Automotive in 2020

Most awarded
campaigns, brands and
agencies in
Automotive in 2020

CAMPAIGNS

Brand, Title, Agency
1
Forsman & Bodenfors Göteborg
2
Jung von Matt AG, Hamburg
3
antoni GmbH, Berlin
4
Dentsu Creative, Amsterdam
5
Forsman & Bodenfors Göteborg
6
Highdive, Chicago
7
Ogilvy Social.Lab Netherlands, Amsterdam
8
Forsman & Bodenfors Göteborg
9
Publicis Emil, Konya (Istanbul)
10
Johannes Leonardo, New York
11
HOY by Havas, Buenos Aires
12
T&Pm, Paris
13
DDB Paris
14
FCB Canada, Toronto
15
TBWA\G1, Boulogne-Billancourt

BRANDS

Brand
1 Volvo
2 Volkswagen
3 BMW
4 Mercedes-Benz
5 Toyota

AGENCIES

Name
1 Forsman & Bodenfors Göteborg
2 Jung von Matt AG, Hamburg
3 antoni GmbH, Berlin
4 Dentsu Creative, Amsterdam
5 INNOCEAN Europe, Frankfurt am Main

Watch

TituloThe E.V.A. Initiative
Agência
Campanha The E.V.A. Initiative
Anunciante Volvo
Marca Volvo
Data da primeira Transmissão/Publicação 2019 / 3
Sector Empresarial Automóveis
História E.V.A stands for Equal Vehicles for All. Most crash test dummies are modelled on men, meaning that women behind the wheel are often more vulnerable. But since the 1970s Volvo has based its car designs and safety innovations on data from real accidents, involving both men and women, making its vehicles safer for everyone. This data was made public through a digital library, with the aim of making all cars safer. The project had a precedent because Volvo had previously given away its patented seat belt technology.
Tipo de Mídia Integrated Media/360 Activation
Comprimento
Mercado Reino Unido
Trilha sonora “Without You (feat. Kerry Leatham)”
Mais Informações https://www.volvocars.com/intl/why-volvo/human-innovation/future-of-driving/safety/cars-safe-for-all?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_content=safe_bio-description_16x9&utm_campaign
Som
Campaign Manager
Redator
Redator
Redator
Director de arte
Director de arte
Director de arte
Director de arte
Planeador estratégico
Planeador estratégico
Digital Strategist
Produtor
Executivo de contas
Executivo de contas
Web design
Artwork
Artwork
Supervisor de conta
Public Relations
Public Relations
Agência de Mídia
Produtora
Produtor executivo
Produtor executivo
Realizador
Director de fotografia
Produtor
Editor
Dancer
Colorização
Color Assist
VFX Supervisor
CG Artist
Online Artist
Online Studio
Color Producer
Post-production Producer
VFX Executive Producer
VFX PRODUCTION
VFX Producer
VFX Lead
Grade
Intérprete
Música
Publishing Rights
Produtor de som
Sound Design and Mix
CGI
TituloThe Small Escape
Agência
Campanha The Small Escape
Anunciante BMW
Marca BMW
Data da primeira Transmissão/Publicação 2019 / 10
Sector Empresarial Automotor
Tipo de Mídia Branded Content
Comprimento
Pós-produção
Realizador
Câmara
Produtora
Director executivo criativo
Editor
Produtor
TituloBertha Benz: The Journey That Changed Everything
Agência
Campanha Bertha Benz: The Journey That Changed Everything
Anunciante Daimler AG
Marca Mercedes-Benz
Data da primeira Transmissão/Publicação 2019 / 3
Sector Empresarial Automotor
Legenda She believed in more than a car. She believed in herself
História To prove that her husband’s invention was the future of mobility, Bertha Benz went on the first long-distance journey in an automobile. 131 years later, she was celebrated in a short film launched on International Women’s Day. We see Bertha driving her "horseless carriage" into a fearful town, where a pharmacy that sells "ligroin" petroleum unwittingly becomes the world's first gas station. After overcoming the scepticism of onlookers, and especially the contempt of the menfolk, she motors triumphantly away.
Tipo de Mídia Viral
Comprimento
Empresa de produção
Director de publicidade
Director de publicidade
Director de publicidade
Director de publicidade
Managing Diretor
Managing Diretor
Managing Diretor
Director executivo criativo
Director executivo criativo
Director executivo criativo
Director criativo
Redator
Estrategista
Produtora Anorak Film
Realizador
Managing Diretor
Produtor executivo
Produtor
Producer
Director de fotografia
Designer de produção
Editor
Empresa de design sonoro
Compositor
Compositor
Compositor
Producer
TituloRoad Tales
Titulo (língua original)Snelweg Sprookjes
Agência
Campanha Road Tales
Anunciante Volkswagen Group
Marca Volkswagen
Data da primeira Transmissão/Publicação 2019 / 1
Sector Empresarial Automotor
História How to encourage kids to enjoy the scenery during road trips rather than being riveted to a screen? Road Tales are location-based audiobooks that transform car journeys into magical tales. Landmarks like windmills, bridges and lakes become story elements. Parents can download the app and play the interactive stories through the car’s sound system. 5000 kilometres of highway were scanned to create a custom experience for every ride. Through a mix of classic storytelling, "I spy" and creative use of data, VW turns every journey into a story.
Filosofia Most of us can relate to the image of kids looking outside the window letting their mind wander into imaginary worlds as they travel along the road. But the back seat of most family cars today looks quite differently: children sucked into screens, disconnected from what surrounds them. Screen time is constantly increasing, specially among younger generations. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated their guidelines for children’s media use, as children desperately need more free time to ignite their imaginations and develop a sense of wonder . Instead of activating their imagination, children 1 are overstimulated by all that extensive screen time. Creative agency ACHTUNG! mcgarrybowen developed ‘Snelweg Sprookjes’ (translated: Road Tales) for Volkswagen Netherlands. An app with location based interactive audiobooks that transform ordinary road objects into magical characters of a story. The main goal of the app is to make children curious about looking outside again as they ride in the car - but also to give parents a good alternative for the use of screens. In the Netherlands Volkswagen is one of the most driven family cars. Thousands of children are spending time on the back seats of cars on a daily basis. Most of this time is filled with a digital screen. With 'Road Tales', Volkswagen wants to bring imagination back to where it has always belonged: the back seat. Mervyn ten Dam - executive creative director ACHTUNG! mcgarrybowen Amsterdam: “With the app we stimulate the imagination of kids and create a fun and interactive experience for the whole family. Through a custom story-engine, the app builds stories in real-time around ordinary highway objects. For example, a story turns a tunnel into a rocket launcher. With this app we want to give children the ability to trigger their creative thinking skills, which are essential to self-discovery.”
Tipo de Mídia Case Study
Comprimento
Production
Development app
Sound
Illustrations
Manager Marketing Communication
Team Manager Marketing Communication
Brand Communication Manager
Director executivo criativo
Director executivo criativo
Creative Director
Creative Director
Creative
Creative
Creative
Account Manager
Strategy Director
Strategy
Head of Production
Content Producer
Digital Producer
Designer
Designer
Design Director
UX design
Illustrator
Produtora
Production Company
Production Company
Sound Design
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
TituloThe E.V.A. Initiative 2
Agência
Campanha The E.V.A. Initiative
Anunciante Volvo
Marca Volvo
Data da primeira Transmissão/Publicação 2019 / 3
Sector Empresarial Automóveis
Tipo de Mídia Imprensa e publicações
Comprimento
Mercado Reino Unido
Trilha sonora “Without You (feat. Kerry Leatham)”
Mais Informações https://www.volvocars.com/intl/why-volvo/human-innovation/future-of-driving/safety/cars-safe-for-all?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_content=safe_bio-description_16x9&utm_campaign
Som
Campaign Manager
Redator
Redator
Redator
Director de arte
Director de arte
Director de arte
Director de arte
Planeador estratégico
Planeador estratégico
Digital Strategist
Produtor
Executivo de contas
Executivo de contas
Web design
Artwork
Artwork
Supervisor de conta
Public Relations
Public Relations
Agência de Mídia
Produtora
Produtor executivo
Produtor executivo
Realizador
Director de fotografia
Produtor
Editor
Dancer
Colorização
Color Assist
VFX Supervisor
CG Artist
Online Artist
Online Studio
Color Producer
Post-production Producer
VFX Executive Producer
VFX PRODUCTION
VFX Producer
VFX Lead
Grade
Intérprete
Música
Publishing Rights
Produtor de som
Sound Design and Mix
CGI
TituloGroundhog Day
Agência
Campanha Groundhog Day
Anunciante General Motors Corp.
Marca Jeep
Data da primeira Transmissão/Publicação 2020 / 2
Sector Empresarial Automóveis
Tipo de Mídia Televisão
Comprimento
Actor/celebridade
Realizador
Produtor executivo
Produtor executivo
Director de fotografia
TituloVolvo – Lifesaver
BriefWe decided to train and equip Volvo drivers with AED’s, connecting their Volvos to the national call system for resuscitation.Volvo drivers are registered as civilian first responders. Emergency calls are automatically sent to the car via Volvo On Call. The driver can navigate directly to the victim. With a modest budget and a target of 25, an astonishing 200 enlisted in the first two weeks. The project exceeded expectations by nearly a thousand percent, making national and international headlines.
Agência
Campanha Volvo – Lifesaver
Anunciante Volvo
Marca Volvo
Data da primeira Transmissão/Publicação 2019 / 11
Sector Empresarial Automóveis
História With a cardiac arrest the first six minutes are crucial. But on average ambulances take nine minutes. The concept: equip Volvos with an AED, train drivers on resuscitation and contribute to a better spread of AEDs and thus chances of survival.
Tipo de Mídia Digital Installation
Comprimento
Produtora
Director executivo criativo
Director executivo criativo
Equipa criativa
Equipa criativa
Director criativo
Director criativo
Design Lead
TituloThe Parents
Agência
Campanha The Parents
Anunciante Volvo
Marca Volvo XC60
Data da primeira Transmissão/Publicação 2020 / 9
Sector Empresarial Automóveis 4x4
Tipo de Mídia Viral
Comprimento
Produtora New Land
Director de arte
Director de arte
Director de arte
Redator
Redator
Supervisor de conta
Executivo de contas
Produtor da agência
PR Strategist
Planner
Designer
Web Design
Realizador
Produtor
Produtor
Director de fotografia
Produtor executivo
Editor
Grading/Online
Fotógrafo
Compositor
TituloWorld's Smartest Radio Spot
Agência
Campanha World's Smartest Radio Spot
Anunciante Mercedes-Benz
Marca smart
PostedDezembro 2020
Sector Empresarial Automóveis pequenos e compactos
História When it comes to radio ads, automobile sales campaigns dominate the block most of the time. Therefore, it’s not easy to get attention from the mass audience.So we decided to use the radio block in a smart and a tiny way. We made a tiny and smart radio ad that fits everywhere. Just like smart… And we parked this 0.84-second long ad between other car ads.With The World’s Smartest Radio Spot, we uniquely visualized our product promise tininess.
Problema People usually can’t differ a radio spot from others or they can’t remember what those ads say at all. To make a difference and get everyone’s attention, we wanted to make a radio ad that reflects the main feature of our brand: Tinyness.Smart presents: World's Smartest Radio Spot
Tipo de Mídia Rádio
Director de publicidade
Director de publicidade
Director de publicidade
Director de publicidade
Redator
Supervisor de conta
Executivo de contas
Content
Community Manager
Project Manager
Chefe de produção
Produtor da agência
TituloThe Last Mile
Agência
Campanha The Last Mile
Anunciante Volkswagen
Marca Volkswagen Beetle
Data da primeira Transmissão/Publicação 2019 / 12
Sector Empresarial Automóveis pequenos e compactos
Tipo de Mídia Viral
Comprimento
Trilha sonora Let It Be
Chief Creative Officer
Chief Creative Officer
Director executivo criativo
Director criativo
Director de arte
Redator
Designer
Project Manager
Group Executive Producer
Produtor executivo
Business Affairs Manager
Business Affairs Manager
Estratégico Business Lead
Management Supervisor
Executivo de contas
Group Strategy Director
Estrategista
Produtora
Realizador
Director executivo criativo
Produtor executivo
Senior Producer
Produtor de linha
Production Assistant
Production Assistant
Director de arte
Design
Design
Design
Storyboards
Gráficos 3D
Gráficos 3D
Animation Supervisor
Animation Supervisor
Design de imagens
Design de imagens
Design de imagens
Design de imagens
Design de imagens
Design de imagens
Design de imagens
Design de imagens
Design de imagens
Titulo100 years making history board
Agência
Campanha 100 years making history
Anunciante Citroën
Marca Citroën's 100 Anniversary
Data da primeira Transmissão/Publicação 2019 / 10
Produto Institutional
Sector Empresarial Automotor
História On 2019 Citroën celebrated a century of life with a campaign specially developed, in which print & design take center stage. A story told in 100 illustrations that describe the progress of the world and how Citroën is part of this future ahead. Every year is one piece. And each illustration, accompanied by a reference text that tells the milestones of the year and the Citroën model in vogue at the time. Also, all the 100 pieces come alive (motion design) and can be viewed and downloaded from www.citroenargentina.com.ar/centenario for Desktop or Smartphone. The campaign ended with the publication of a book in which the most important year of each decade came to life through an Augmented Reality app also especially developed. In Argentina, collection books, in between cars fans is a huge thing.
Tipo de Mídia Case Study
Managing Directors Pedro Di Risio, Ernest Riba
Executive Creative Directors Federico Plaza Montero, Nicolás Zarlenga
Head of Client Services and Business Development Lucila Castellani.
Head of Production Emiliano Alvarenga
Creative Director Juan Martín Muiño
Head of Art Fernando Oltolina
Motion Designer Matías Rossi
UX/UI Designer - Front End Developer Pablo Fuentes.
Developer Roberto Sánchez.
Creative Team Laura Valle García, Bárbara Gedacht, Ekaterina Olortegui, Juan Marzari, Cristian Tarzi, Gonzalo Paz.
Design & Development Team Alejo Becerra, Emilia Teperman, Emmanuel Trimigliozzi, Amparo Guindon, Octavio Arboiro, Stefanía Adam, Tomás Aguilar. Betsabé Tinoco, Daniel Herrera, Karen Cortés, Jaime Albañil, Wolf Diaz, Tommy Pachoba, Jaime Albañil, Jose Correa.
Account Executives Belén de Bartolo, María Eugenia Garrafo, Andres Gori.
Webmaster María Paz Badino.
Strategist Coordinator Nicolás Cáceres
Strategist Thomas Contramaestre.
Ilustration Javier Reboursin
App AR Mobillers
TituloMade in France
Titulo (língua original)Yaris très française !
Agência
Campanha Made in France
Anunciante Toyota Motor Corporation
Marca Toyota France
Data da primeira Transmissão/Publicação 2019 / 3
Sector Empresarial Automóveis
Filosofia French people are rooting for locally produced products. Recent figures show that 93% of them are buying ‘Made in France’ products as a means of supporting their local economy and creating jobs. They’re even ready to pay more for it; according to a 2017 Ifop survey for Pro France “French people and the Made in France”. For Toyota this rings true; the Yaris has been produced at Valenciennes since 2001. In 2012 it was the first vehicle in France to be granted the ‘Origine France Garantie’, the grail of local production and it’s been the most produced city car in France ever since. How could you be more French, you could ask? Well, this year Toyota France and its agency The&Partnership France decided to produce the first ever ‘Origine France Garantie’ TV ad for the Toyota Yaris. You don’t believe it, that’s rather French of you! No, it’s true and we have a certification number: BV. Cert. 7243657 to prove it. To obtain this prestigious label, it’s impossible to cheat... In our commercial ‘Made in France’ everything is French: the location, the set, the props, the actors and even the staff. With more than sixty French brands collaborating in this film and more than a hundred people participating. Directed by the talented Benjamin Bouhana, in the very French Bry-Sur-Marine studios, the TV commercial follows a Toyota Yaris driving through different scenes; each scene depicts a typically French moment that people will immediately identify with. The website yaristresfrancaise.fr invites all users to check the origin of everything that was used on the set and discover the backstage of the shoot. We thought, why stop there? Can we go even further? How about launching the campaign only and exclusively on French media? That’s easy when it comes to national radio and TV channels and French local daily papers, but it’s a little trickier when it comes to digital. We had to dig deeper and face more important challenges, after all the internet is by definition the World Wide Web and most of the social platforms are not so French. Going all French meant, no social media, using exclusive French streaming platforms such as Deezer, Daily Motion and all the .FR sites. First air date (if you’re in France): March 3rd, 2019
Tipo de Mídia Televisão
Comprimento
Director
Director criativo
Director de arte
Redator
Client Lead
Account Manager
Strategy
Production
TV Producer
Agency TV Producer
Producer
Production Director
Photography Director
TituloThe others
Agência
Campanha The others
Anunciante Volkswagen
Marca Volkswagen
Data da primeira Transmissão/Publicação 2019 / 5
Sector Empresarial Automotor
História The main problem on the road is not us, but "The Others". A voiceover delivers an absurd rant against these annoying beings. "The Others don't care about the other Others. They have 'other' things to do." But the film makes it quite clear that The Others are a lot like us. It's shot from a driver's viewpoint, creating a gallery of moving portraits. The end line reminds us that we are all “others”. And we all make mistakes. So to make the roads safer, we should do more to protect those around us.
Tipo de Mídia Televisão
Comprimento
Director executivo criativo
Director de arte
Redator
Planeador estratégico
TV Production
Post-production Producer
Supervisores da Agência
Supervisores da Agência
Supervisores da Agência
Supervisores da Agência
Supervisores da Agência
Supervisor de clientes
Supervisor de clientes
Supervisor de clientes
Supervisor de clientes
Supervisor de clientes
Produtora
Realizador Si & Ad
Director de fotografia
Produtor
Editor
Pós produção
Music Supervision
Produção de som
TituloTruck-Thru
Agência
Campanha Truck-Thru
Anunciante Fountain Tires
Marca Fountain Tires
PostedDezembro 2020
Sector Empresarial Acessórios e serviços de automóveis
História Fountain Tire tackled the trucking segment’s biggest problem: downtime. Even stopping for a coffee costs valuable time. Introducing Truck-Thru – a drive-thru truckers can truck-thru. Built along Canada’s busiest trucking routes, the Truck-thru served free coffee and snacks, saving fleets time and money while growing Fountain Tire’s bottom line.
Problema Fountain Tire, a Canadian tire and auto-service retailer, is a brand dedicated to being a drivers’ trusted partner on the road, helping them with any and every problem. The challenge was to demonstrate Fountain Tire’s commitment to the commercial industry to increase top of mind awareness, drive 30 new leads, and increase commercial sales by $1,000,000.
Chief Creative Officer
Chief Creative Officer
Group Creative Director
Group Creative Director
Redator
Director de arte
Director de arte
Producer
Chief Strategy Officer
Planeador
Director de contas
Executivo de contas
Project Manager
VP Managing Director
Produtora
Produtor de linha
Managing Partner
Produtor executivo
Director de fotografia
Câmara
Empresa de produção
Editor
Transfer
Producer
Produção de som
Realizador
Producer
Produção
Print Producer
TituloQashqai Sound Odyssey
BriefThis spot's unique aural landscape was created by sourcing real sounds and signals from space, gathered during 50 years of exploration, from NASA's sound bank. Sample rates were analysed and frequencies shifted into the range audible by humans. The sounds were treated with the equaliser, adding compression, reverb and other SFX engineering techniques. The sound design bank contained more than 20,000 sounds, enabling the creation of a sound tableau to match the images.
Agência
Campanha Qashqai Sound Odyssey
Anunciante Nissan Motor Corp.
Marca Nissan Qashqai
PostedNovembro 2019
Sector Empresarial Automotor
História We gathered sound elements from NASA sound bank utilising real sounds and signals from space gathered in the last 50 years of exploration. We analysed sample rates and shifted these frequencies into the range audible by humans. We treated these sounds with the equaliser adding compression, reverb and other engineering SFX techniques.We created our sound design bank with more than 20,000 sounds to allow us to create a sound tableau which matches the images.
Tipo de Mídia Viral
Designer
Producer
Producer
Sound Designer
Director criativo
Director criativo
Director executivo criativo
Director executivo criativo
Compositor
Account Manager

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