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Middle age downer.
I watched that ad and just sort of though "huh"? In the movie high-schooler Ferris called in sick to school, liberated Mia Sara from class and his best friend Cameron from his abusive dad and tooled around Chicago in a Ferrari. In the commercial, middle-aged Matthew Broderick calls in 'sick" from his cush suite at the Montage in Beverly Hills and cruises LA in.. a CRV? All I got from this one was A) behavior that's cute at 18 isn't so much so at 50 and B) I'm sure Matthew Broderick could afford a better mid-life crisis than a CRV. Ferris would have scammed his way into a Ferrari - there's a dealer right down the block on Wilshire.
Tom Pease
Beverly Hills, California
GM's media play.
So GM bought $3 billion dollars worth of French advertising expertise? Lets see how many more vehicles they sell in France as a result. I think I will follow GM's lead and just buy a French made car!
Mark Furrer
St. Louis, Missouri
Super Bowl Ads.
I disagree with your assessment of VW's Super Bowl 45 Darth Vader ad: you remembered the characters, the plot and the entire storyline. But who really remembered the product? An ad is great if it instills in the viewer a sense of the product: which VW was featured in the ad? What model was it? The original Kia Soul ad from a couple of years ago (hamsters running in wheels) was superior: you remember the product as much as the ad itself.
GJM
Ossining, New York
Editor-in-Chief's Note: You actually remembered the product in the hamsters ad? You're an army of one. - PMD
A better Fusion.
I know the proposed NASCAR 2013 Fusion is a great leap for NASCAR, but why are they maintaining the 1978 Buick-like proportions and profile? Can’t they raise the belt line and lower the top for a better representation of a production Fusion? Below is my humble attempt at improving the body with a Photoshop chop-up incorporating the aforementioned changes to bring it into this century, at least. The long deck is still there for air management, and the frontal area remains the same as the proposed version. Can’t we get some good looking race sedans for once??
Thom Taylor
Laguna Niguel, CA
Hyundai bad, VW good... almost.
Thanks for the links to these ads. The Hyundai ad is pretty bad, goes nowhere, pulls from franchise that is best forgotten (Rocky...really?).
The VW ad is good...until they bludgeon the audience with the Mos Eisley Cantina sequence. Too bad that bit of "genius" wasn't left on the conference room whiteboard. They should have stopped with the great (and memorable) scene of the dog running along side the New New Beetle.
If THAT cut was good enough for Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, it's good enough for us!
C.C.
Decatur, Georgia
NASCAR Fusion.
Mr. Taylor doesn't like the proportions of the NASCAR Fusion. But it's all about visibility for the driver, isn't it? This is exactly why I wouldn't buy the latest Fusion or so many other modern midsized sedans -- they have chopped tops and high beltlines that make visibility atrocious. Automakers try to fix this problem through Rube Goldberg approaches like adding rear view cameras and the like, which adds weight and complication. Take a look at the 1988 Honda Accord, with it's ultra low beltline and large greenhouse. That's what a driving enthusiast or NASCAR driver would want, in my opinion.
J.R.
Albany, Oregon
Wake up call.
Am I the only one who's underwhelmed by the onslaught of small, nay even teeny cars our auto companies are trying to foist off on us that can barely manage mid 30's fuel economy? My 6-year-old VW Golf TDI has always gotten mid-40's loafing at 2600 rpm down the freeway at 80mph. And decent performance to boot. When are people going to wake up?
M.S.
Albion, Michigan
NASCAR Fusion, Part II.
Nice artwork Thom (A Better Fusion) but how would reigning champ Tony Stewart be able to squeeze inside your new Cup car window slot? His template just won't match your new standard!
Kevin Kelly
St Louis, Missouri