Leo Burnett Sydney and Subaru ‘All 4 The Driver’ in blockbuster spot directed by Steve Rogers
Leo Burnett Sydney has created a commercial to mark the launch of its new Subaru brand campaign – All 4 The Driver. The campaign marks a change of direction for Subaru, taking a brand renowned for its sophisticated engineering technology into a more human, emotional territory.
The TVC was shot on location in Kiev and Southern Ukraine by Steve Rogers from Revolver, with music composed in London by SoundTree, using the voices of an internationally acclaimed College Choir.
Says Rogers: To bring a script of this ambition to fruition was achallenge any director would relish. Together with Andy, Jay, Gary, anda fantastic production team, I think we managed to do this.”
Says Leo Burnett Co-Executive Creative Director Andy DiLallo: “Thisproject has been over a year in the making and has been a truecollaboration from the strategy, all the way through to the finalexecution with our Subaru client. The end result is an uncompromisingview into what drives Subaru as a company and how that benefits theirdrivers. Personally I could not be happier with the result and allinvolved.”
Co-Executive Creative Director Jay Benjamin adds: “When this projectfirst started we went to Oran Park to experience first hand theconfidence and exhilaration that results from all of Subaru’s besttechnology being put in every car they make. As I tore around thecourse in a WRX with accelerator pinned to the floor and tires glued tothe ground, it became obvious we had landed on a truth.”
Says Creative Gary Dawson says: “It’s been a huge project and anexciting journey. And for all its scale, what I love most is that wewere able to capture the very human spirit of a company who’scommitment to the driver is second to none.”
Executive Creative Directors: Andy DiLallo, Jay Benjamin.
Writer: Gary Dawson
Art Director: Gary Dawson.
Executive TV Producer: Adrian Shapiro
Account Service: Tamara Klemich, Peter Fitzhardinge, Amanda Quested.
Production Company: Revolver
Director: Steve Rogers.
Executive Producer: Michael Ritchie
Producer: Georgina Wilson
Music: SoundTree.
Post Production: Animal Logic.
53 Comments
Simple idea, nicely executed. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Nice work guys. Nice work Subaru.
Steve is a genius. But the delivery of the v/o is crap.
Really nice work. Beautifully executed. Another Rogers masterpiece.
BUT as far as car ads go the Country Border Security stuff from
Toyota is still my fav by far.
Just my opinion.
SD
awesome. steve rogers once again proving his class.
is there truth in advertising?
here’s one; wow! beautiful…………
DD
simple message, mesmerising visuals, cool track. hats off to all involved.
Love it.
Agree re the V/O thou
Grab ass driving at its best.
I think the people should be wearing gloves with all that bottom touching.
To increase your chances of getting fingered up the bottom drive a Subaru.
I worked on Subaru about five years ago how in the world did you get them to make this spot? Brilliant!!!!
Flawless, well done Steve and Leos. I’m green with envy.
Now that is a brand spot, love it. The music is really fresh well done Leos.
Beautiful! At first I thought it was ‘Choir’ on roids, but very, very big and expensive and nice.
Didn’t notice the VO was too blown away by the visuals.
Wow, something Brilliant that isn’t Earth Hour. Sadly I have to give it to them, Hats off.
Steve Rogers is a God!!!!! This could have been so wrong but they got it so right. Nice one.
beautifully crafted from start to finish. top marks
Best car ad this year by a long way. Nice work Gaz.
A joy to watch and listen to.
I do come away with a feeling of ‘soft ride’ not the ‘handles like it’s on rails’ which I know Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive can and does deliver.
But in the scheme of things, it’s a delight which also scores lack-of-car bonus points.
really nice. well done.
It’s gay.
MAN!
Like very well done…. again
Where will it run?
So different for Subaru. Nice one.
get off the blog Ritchie
6:46: I think its running on the blog this week for Award.
I don’t know. It’s a bit generic to me. Yes, it’s beautifully crafted. But Subaru builds very interesting cars with a key point of difference – the ubiquitous AWD. Rather than some corporate chest beating (albeit very nicely put together) a deeper insight in terms of why people gravitate towards the brand would have, in my view, been better. Having said that, I churned out the worst of Holden retail work for a few years. So, maybe I’m a bit bitter and twisted.
Again I ask, why are voiceovers so crap in Oz?
Hard to believe this is an Australian ad it feels very European. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing. Either way very well crafted.
Great direction great idea. Destine to be a classic. I Love it’s humanity with all the small touches like the guys eye brow at the end when he’s perving on the girl very cute.
great work gaz,…very european, beautifully put together. See you soon for guiness. RN
The Music is awesome very fresh.
i love you Gary
I have to say that I wish this had been filmed in Sydney. That would have really opened our imagination!
Rather, feels like we’ve seen this genre all too many times before – large group of people filmed in a European location by a European director with European talent. Then, subsequently dictated to us as being deemed worthy of international credit by the usual European advertising media syndicate.
All a bit boring after a few years, is it not?
We need some new ideas here. We need a new direction and a new look. A commercial style of our own. One that’s unique to us as a region.
That revolution will be televised.
No, 8:04 PM
Not bitter and twisted. Just another anonymous fuckwit.
(Like me).
I like.
But agree with previous post. Toyota’s Country Border Security via Saatchi’s is still the car ad to beat.
love it! very, very cool. well done all, guess that wasn’t an easy journey.
Nice one Seppos, Adrian too. Nice jaunt to Kiev, anything like Cape Town?
P 😉
Green with envy. well done gary, quietly doing the business as usual.
OK, full points for getting Subaru into emotive territory.
But as a subaru driver myself, this spot couldn’t get the driving experience any more wrong. You drive a subi because it’s responsive, sticks to the road like it’s on rails, is a proper driver’s car, and it’s just a little bit different from the standard Japanese car.
This makes Subaru look like a slow, soft, plush luxurious and quite generic driving experience. Which is just plain wrong.
Everyone else seems to love this ad, but before you slam me ask yourself this: could most other car makers have made this spot and stuck their logo on the end? The answer’s yes, because if you don’t listen to the awful voiceover (and let’s face it, who would) there’s absolutely nothing in this that Subaru can own. It’s a generic ‘we love drivers’ message, done quite well. That is all.
Production values are very good though. I just don’t think the idea positions the brand as anything unique whatsoever.
I drive a Subaru and for me the spot doesn’t express the benefit of AWD drive. You feel it when you’re going fast, around a corner, or when you hill start in the rain, not when you’re moving at walking speed. Also, to be frank, I don’t buy that Subaru is smiling white guys. I know it’s Japanese, and I like it that way. They make good cars.
Perhaps it appeals to those who want to feel cosseted but I would’ve thought the typical buyer was aware that it’s not a Volvo.
Agreed, this is not a Subaru experience. But it’s well done.
not a subaru driver, but would at least get my looking in their direction. very different for them, very cool.
I tried very hard to win this one, and still wish I had. That’s a credit to the idea, and the chance to collaborate with you all. Well done to the whole team: Adrian, Gary and our Men of the Mid-Atlantic. I appreciate that it was a rocky road to travel, on your asses. So, hats off, and hopefully see you on Thursday to kick off a new year.
I thought Pete Buckley and Timmy Brown cooked this up?
I think they where looking for a broader target then their existing drivers. Not every one is intrested in cornering on rails some people are more intrested in a company who’s philosophy is to put all their best tech in every car not just their top of the line.
not really into cars, but thought this was a delight to watch, probably because there are no cars!
Its in the genre of “weird things that happen in the street” . A bloated extravaganza that is generic to cars.
Pull over driver.
Drive a subie and you’ll get a pat on the bum.
just seen it. loved it. beautifully shot and crafted. didn’t really listen to vo, so do you need it? As a visual piece of communication- i get the sentiment loud and clear. nice work everyone involved.
Good ad for Australia but the mass ‘people no car’ is similar to the Saturn ad.
Who did the strategy?
Planner on this spot was Kirsty Angus.