Audi takes a four hour slow drive through the Australian countryside in new work via FINCH
With the world confined indoors, Audi is offering a way to reconnect with house-bound Australians through the freedom of the open road. Together with partner social media agency We Are Social Australia and production company FINCH, Audi Australia has created ‘The Drive’, a four-hour long slow TV film that allows viewers to experience the soothing nature of a long road trip from the confines of their own home.
‘The Drive’ takes viewers on an immersive road journey through breathtaking Australian landscapes in an all-new Audi A6 Sedan. The film was shot in the NSW Central Tablelands by director Luke Bouchier at FINCH, using multiple cameras to replicate the experience of driving the car, which the audience can enjoy from the comfort and safety of their own home. To enhance the mood of the drive, the film was scored by composer John Hassell, from his studio in Marseille, France, where he is currently in isolation.
Part of the appeal for using a long, slow TV-style approach was to tap into the zen nature of the genre in a time when people seemingly crave it more than ever – encouraging a moment of calm in an otherwise frantic climate.
Says Nikki Warburton, chief customer and marketing officer at Audi Australia: “During this difficult time for many of us, Audi wanted to create an innovative way of bringing the iconic Australian road-trip to people in their homes.
“’The Drive’ is a digital concept that allows customers to experience the pleasure of the open road from the confines of their home, and to hopefully offer Australians some tranquillity and mental wellbeing during these uncertain and unsettling times.”
This is the first collaboration between Audi and We Are Social since it was appointed to the social media account in January. It taps into the partnership’s ambition to give Audi customers a more personalised experience and grow an engaged community through innovative storytelling.
According to Edu Pou, executive creative director at We Are Social, teamwork is at the heart of ‘The Drive’: “Not only has our partnership with production house Finch been fantastic, but the passion from the team at Audi has been key to driving this project forward. Literally – our client Sean is the one behind the wheel in this film.”
‘The Drive’ was recorded two weeks ago, with a small crew of four people – two per car – and followed the latest government advice on social distancing at the time.
Brand – Audi Australia
Agency – We Are Social Australia
Production Company – FINCH
Post Production – Atticus Post
Audi Australia
Chief Customer and Marketing Officer – Nikki Warburton
Corporate Communications Manager – Shaun Cleary
Senior Communications Executive (Online) – Sean Mckeever
Senior Communications Executive – Peta Frost
We Are Social Australia
Managing Director – Suzie Shaw
Executive Creative Director – Edu Pou
Senior Editor / Creative – John Agnew
Designers – Matt Geersen and Oliver Ryan
Executive Producer – Thea Carone
Account Director – Jess Steele
Account Manager – Jarryd Patel
FINCH
Director – Luke Bouchier
DOP – Jordan Maddocks
Executive Producer – Camilla Mazzaferro
Production Manager – Francesca Walker
Atticus Post
Executive Producer – Amelia Bromley
Editor – Matt Bennet
Composer / Sound Design – John Hassell
24 Comments
It appears 303 are doing less and less on Audi these days.
Why did Audi marketing approve this concept? What is the perceived benefit? It’s dull and pointless and no one will watch it. What’s slightly more concerning is a brand of the stature of Audi can be so out of touch with the crisis we’re facing. Couldn’t Audi think of a more constructive way to spend its money for the community’s benefit rather than on a frivolous escapade. How about funding medical equipment? Supporting our medical staff on the front line? This is just plain silly. Obviously Audi have more money than sense and are detached from reality.
cars for assholes with too much money.
HaHaHa….who approved this shit. It’s terrible.
This doesn’t even look good
I have time on my hands for sure but this is ridiculous.
Not evening commenting on this tonally who would ever watch this and why?
Please tell me this was a freebee because no one should have been paid for this.
This is so god damn boring. Seriously guys, you’ve completely disappeared up your own wazoo on this one.
After 15 seconds, I got car (ad) sick.
Audi are good at wasting money. First the 2.5 million documentary and now this rubbish.
On the edge of my seat for 4hrs. The highlight was the Maccas at Yass drive through.
Just finished watching the whole thing. Started at 4:30pm.
Amazing!!!! 5 stars.
I bet a gazillion dollars that not even the client has watched the whole thing.
… oh why didn’t they just attach a GoPro to the dash and go for a drive.
My favourite part is when the BMW 5 Series overtakes the A6.
Oh – like slow TV. But YouTube.
Unlike these self-serving idiots above, I enjoyed it.
Thanks for the quick escape back to the countryside.
No one will ever watch this. Client social distancing from good work and lost their mind in Iso.
Clearly.
I shuffled through the film again and chuckled. It was so long I couldn’t realistically review anything close to the entirety. If Johnno had inserted a frame of an evil clown I’d be none the wiser. I gulped another inch of whisky, crossed my fingers and hoped no one would actually watch the damned thing.
This whole isolation thing was getting to me. I didn’t know who had begun to lose their mind, was it me or was it the client? Either way I billed them $450k and fell asleep on the couch.
Wow. You would be fun on a night out. Home and asleep by 9.
Wow. You sound like another bitter pleb from a rival agency. What’s the matter, ISO getting to you?
Going for a drive, the fastest way to put babies and adults to sleep.
Please Audi, no more of this. Bring back some excitement to the brand. Please!
Wow, just put some go pro’s on a car and record for 4 hours. Footage is extremely boring and you could achieve a similar effect with a four hour relaxing music track instead. Utterly pointless video piece.
1 – boring as all hell
2- right now you would be significantly fined for doing this. So, which genius thought NOW was the right time to launch this?