November 10, 2004
I saw it written and I saw it say...
I was browsing online today and found, nestled in some random web directory, a quicktime file of my favorite commercial in the world. It's a one minute TV spot for the Volkswagen Cabrio officially known as "Milky Way" but known to everyone that's seen it as "Pink Moon." I think this is arguably one of the best commercials ever made, for a car or anything else, and more than any other short film I've seen approximates the concision and rhythm and tone of a haiku or senryu.
While the ad may not be as universally known as, say, "I'd like to buy the world a coke" or the Budweiser "True" guys (aka "Wazuuuuuup?"), nearly everyone I've talked to that's seen this commercial remembers it. Here's why it gets the Jason Bentley award:
And I own a Volkswagen.
While the ad may not be as universally known as, say, "I'd like to buy the world a coke" or the Budweiser "True" guys (aka "Wazuuuuuup?"), nearly everyone I've talked to that's seen this commercial remembers it. Here's why it gets the Jason Bentley award:
- Nick Drake. "Pink Moon" is a fragile, lovely song by the late English songwriter Nick Drake, and this commercial singlehandedly turned on countless thousands to his music. This is nothing but a good thing. Nick Drake was a singular, bruised talent that died much too young. He had the voice of an angel, and the guitar virtuosity of an acoustic Jeff Beck. The horn-rimmed scenesters on the L train can sneer at the Nick Drake come-latelys, the airplay on Morning Becomes Eclectic, and the apologetically ignorant profile on All Things Considered all they want. The first time I saw this ad, I recalled it was Volkswagen that also used Spiritualized's "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space" and I felt ecstatic that in a Clear Channel world, somebody at VW is shining a light and knows what they're doing.
- Color and tone. So few ads use a dark pallete and the cover of night to sell a product. Granted, it's ridiculously hard to do. Dark is...well, dark. Nighttime in ads usually consists of guys around a campfire or someone coming out of a rainy night to the comfort of Dristan. "Milky Way" turns the night pallete - all blues and blacks - into a glowing, beautiful world. And it beautifully sets up the ad's denoument: never has a reverse-brake light made such a declarative, winning statement of decision as the one on this Cabrio.
- Silent Storytelling. Most commercials are like sitcoms - exaggerated characters turned loose in a setpiece and given arch, hyperbolic dialog. In this sense, "Milky Way" is like a sumptuous HBO banquet: there's a a great deal going on between and within the characters, and all of it is beautifully communicated without a word.
- Repeatability. I could watch this commercial with the frequency of political attack ads and never tire. In fact, repeated viewings bring out some of the textures I've mentioned before.
- Craftsmanship. Just look at this thing. From the opening aereal shot to the final close-up of one of the female passangers, it's just gorgeous. The editing compliments the music without resorting to on-beat chopping or manic MTVness. The actors are all understated and expressive (and lovely to look at). The drunk reveler's "Woooooo" is on pitch with the music.
- Salesmanship. And the whole point of the exercise is, of course, to sell cars. And the commercial is so good, you don't realize that you see all the standard body-interior-turning radius shots you're used to in a car commercial.
And I own a Volkswagen.
