As the car sets off on its all important journey, the background is one of magnificent beauty with the sun setting and subtle ambiences of oranges reflecting off the black paint, which gives the car a glow and ensures that it is constantly illuminated and centre of attention. The car is seen driving through many terrains and various different weather scenarios throughout the advert, this shows the viewer that it is capable of being driven under any circumstances. The family live in the countryside and clearly shows that the car can drive over the cobbled terrain with finesse and elegance.
Soon after, the car is depicted driving through narrow roads, the viewer is finally being given a glimpse of the interior of the car, which by this point is much anticipated, the camera then zooms in on the child who appears to be about five years old. He is tying up his shoe lace, which shows the ample amount of legroom in the car, he appears to be very pleased in the car. Now faced with a bumpy terrain and the dimming light of its surroundings, the car has again outshone itself and performed sensationally, not disturbed by the terrain and providing a safe and comfortable atmosphere for its passengers, again strengthened by the image of the boy sitting in the back seat wearing a seat belt.
The car then drives through a modern tunnel, which contrasts with the ancient architecture shown previously. The fact that the car fits perfectly in both types of scenery shows it to be modern yet having the style to remain a classic. The car is then driving in the direction of the town and is confronted by a disturbing shadowy man in the tunnel. The story has added in this man to promote the cars good features further more by showing the strength of the car and how unphased the car and its passengers are by the rather dubious looking figure. Outside, the world is threatening and dangerous, whilst within the car, father and son are safe, stressing the Audi’s safety and security.
Mysterious looking buildings are sighted ahead, the weather takes a change for the worst, torrential rain starts pouring down, and the sky starts to darken. The rain droplets bounce of the car showing it to be resistant and powerful. As the car tackles the adverse weather conditions it passes a mosque and the viewer can notice the middle European architecture. I think that the passing through the mosque was not a random decision by VW Audi, but in fact a carefully thought out choice, they are trying to convey that this car is ideal for every one no matter their colour, race or religion.
The driver then passes through a fairground which inside its border contains a ferris wheel, coinciding with the circle imagery being used throughout because of the Audi symbol and also later apparent because of the circle of life, and the new Audi being the new generation of car. The ferris wheel is also being used because it is less safe than the Audi car and adds depth to the Audi car being very safe and secure. The child at the back is attracted by the bright colours of the fair ground. Stopping at the traffic lights, the father taps impatiently on the circle steering wheel but even though he is faced with an emergency to tend to he does not proceed, this is because he has full confidence in the car that he is driving and knows that it will take him to his desired destination in time.
The cycle of the day has now also drawn to a close as they arrive at their destination at night and in full darkness. The father in a rush, mistakenly forgets his son in the back of the car. This emphasises less the rush that the father was in but rather accentuates, yet again the safety of the car and how this wealthy family man can trust that the well-being of his son will not be compromised inside the car. Another safety issue being conveyed is the child lock which purpose is to enable the back doors to be opened only from the outside as opposed to the inside of the car.
The father holds his son closely and together they enter the intriguing building. The corridor seems to go on for ever but as they reach the end of the long corridor, a closed double door awaits them and the suspense is at its peak for the viewer. A bright fluorescent light appeared through the gap of the double doors, a wash of relief is dominating the father’s face as he arrives just “in the nick of time”, then we get a brief and all important glance at the new member of the continuation of the circle of life. A new generation is born, a new born baby appears on the screen crying, the viewer is then confronted by a female singing choir, creating a very soothing atmosphere and releasing the tension after the action packed thriller of an advert has come to a halt. The light at the end of the corridor is significant because it is a well known clich”light at the end of the tunnel”.
The screen then reverts to a black background. The Audi symbol, the four circles appears with a very powerful slogan, reading “Vorsprung Durch Technik” translated into English meaning “advancement through technology”. I think that the slogan’s power comes from the fact that it is German and their cars are known for their good durability and their remarkably fast engines, this is just a subtle reminder to the potential buyer that the car is a guaranteed good buy.
The strong slogan in German would also succeed in appealing to Germans living in England where the advert was shown on television. They would feel very proud of the engineering and great design, and to finish it off hearing the slogan recited in their mother tongue would greatly influence them to purchase the car.
