After releasing a teaser featuring Sarah McLachlan in a SPCA-style "Special Message," Volkswagen's Audi brand posted this spot nearly a week before airing it during the first ad break of Super Bowl XLVIII’s third quarter -- a nice slot when viewer attention is refocused on the screen after halftime's disruptions. The ad depicts a couple that compromises on their choice of dog, cross-breeding a Doberman with a Chihuahua to yield a Doberhuahua (the subject of Ms. McLaughlan's plea). After chaos ensues, Audi chimes in to say "Compromise scares us too."
The Super Bowl campaign also included social-media war rooms on both coasts, a partnership with The Onion and activity on Snapchat. “Doberhuahua” marked the seventh consecutive Super Bowl appearance for Audi, this time promoting the new Audi A3, which the ad says was "designed without compromise."
San Francisco-based Venables Bell & Partners continued its streak handling the brand's Super Bowl work. The agency created previous Super Bowl spots for Audi including 2013's "Prom" and 2012’s "Vampire Party" the year before that. In 2015, however, Audi decided to sit one out.
Director: Noam Murro, who directed Chevrolet's post-apocalyptic comparison spot "2012." Production company: Biscuit. Director of photography: Toby Irwin. Executive producer: Shawn Lacy. Line producer: Jay Veal.
Executive creative directors: Paul Venables, Will McGinness. Creative directors: Tyler Hampton, Erich Pfeifer. Art director: Byron Del Rosario. Copywriter: Meredith Karr. Director of integrated production: Craig Allen. Agency producer: Joyce Chen. Business leader: Colleen McGee.
Sound: Trinitite Studios. Sound design: Brian Emrich. Music: Elias Arts. Executive creative director: Brent Nichols. Creative director: Dave Gold. Executive producer: Ann Haugen. Editorial: Final Cut. Editorial producer: Suzy Ramirez. Editor: Rick Russell. Assistant editor: Chris Amos.
BRAND: Audi
YEAR: 2014
AGENCY: Venables Bell & Partners
SUPERBOWL: XLVIII
QUARTER AIRED: Q3