Audi Norway punches back at GM’s Will Ferrell Super Bowl commercial

‘Game of Thrones’ star Kristoffer Hivju takes issue with GM’s ads in three response videos

Published On
Feb 08, 2021

Editor's Pick

In General Motors’ Super Bowl ad, Will Ferrell is seen punching a globe while he gets angry that Norway far outranks the U.S. in electric vehicle sales. The country is used as a foil in the ad from McCann Worldgroup, which goes on to push GM’s message that its proprietary Ultium battery technology will help pave the way for broader EV adoption in the U.S.

But now Audi’s Norway division is punching back at GM and Ferrell, with help from Norwegian actor and “Game of Thrones” star Kristoffer Hivju. In a new video he is seen picking up a globe like the one Ferrell punched, saying, “You want to punch us in the face?” and ends with the message, “Don’t hate. Imitate.”

Audi is among the brands that get a high percentage of its sales in Norway from EVs. According to the brand, “the number one model in the market was the fully electric Audi e-tron.”

“Norway is a peace-loving nation, but we strongly felt that the GM hate campaign deserved a swift response, of course with a touch of humor,” Audi Norway states.

The response, which comes from Oslo based creative agency POL, includes two other videos that serve as a retort to teaser videos starring Ferrell that GM put out in advance of the Super Bowl spot. In one, Hivju takes issue with Ferrell’s reference of the nation’s first “mackerel slap fight” while reading from a fake “History of Norway book.”  In the video, Hivju suggests that salmon is actually Norway’s species of preference for fish fights.

The other video acts as a response to another Ferrell teaser video in which he is portrayed as pranking Norway by ordering 5 million pizzas with anchovies for the entire country.

GM in a statement said: "The goal of our 'Everybody In' campaign is to create interest in and spark a movement toward EVs. It’s been incredible to see the high-profile retweets of and creative responses to our Super Bowl ad and Audi Norge’s video series is a favorite of many of us at GM. Everybody In!"

Credits

Date
Feb 08, 2021
Client :
Audi Norway
Agency :
POL
Art Director :
Thorbjørn Ruud
Copywriter :
Robert Radoli
Consultant :
Petter Bryde
Project Manager :
Shirin Marlene Pakzamir
Designer :
Ole Jakob Bøe Skattum
Actor :
Kristofer Hivju
Director :
Aksel Hennie
Cinematographer :
Pål Ulvik Rokseth
Executive Producer :
Guri Neby
Post Producer :
Cyril Boije
Producer :
Nicoline Helgø
Production Manager :
Sebastian Andrés Knutsen
1st Assistant Director :
Henrik Lundgreen
Costume :
Bente Ulvik
Costume :
Ilja Magga
Sound Recorder :
Helge Bodøgaard
1st Assistant Camera :
Sindri Týr Högnason
Gaffer :
Ole Kristian Nilsen
Grip :
Anders Eide
Drone :
Daniell Ashby
Production Assistant :
Anna Gjermundsen
Production Assistant :
Andreas Bugge
Offline Edit :
Magnus Evensen
Music composer and sound mix :
Petter Fagelund
Grade and Online :
Eirik Aarnes Vik
Camera :
Krypton Film AS
Lights :
Storyline Studios
Post Production :
Shortcut

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