Honda Sued over Godzilla Copyright Infringement on Odyssey Commerical [with Video]

It seems that the movie monster Godzilla is not only a threat on the silver screen, but in real life too. And if you?re wondering, no, it hasn?t actually come out of the ocean to wreak havoc on the Japanese shoreline. However, Honda could end up paying a...sea of money to Toho Co., the Japanese film studio that owns the rights to the Godzilla trademark, due to the allegedly unauthorized use of the sea monster?s likeness in an Odyssey minivan commercial.

The dispute concerns the part of the commercial showing off the MPV?s split screen entertainment system, which features a barely visible head shot of the mythological creature -no, really.

According to Toho Co. spokesman Junichi Tamaki, the studio filed a law suit on February 2 in Los Angeles and wants to ban Honda from further using Godzilla?s image.

?We took a legal action because Godzilla was used without authorization in the Odyssey commercial,? Tamaki said. ?It is an infringement of copyright.?

Toho Co. has a long history of suing everyone suspected of benefiting from the Godzilla trademark, including fast-food restaurants, various publishers or even rock bands.

Contacted by Autoweek, a Honda spokesman declined to comment on the matter, but added that the automaker is still running the Odyssey commercial, which is available below.

VIDEO: New Aston Martin Rapide Promo Films [Part 3]

Aston Martin has released the third and final part of its promotional trilogy ?True Power Should Be Shared? starring the Rapide four-door coupe. There"s less action in this film as our heroes drive towards their destination, wondering what they are transporting. Well, it turns out to be some kind of a time machine, which saves them from being killed in an ambush and returns them to Lisbon, where everything started. Not what we expected, but at least the Rapide didn?t get blown up. Hit the jump to watch the video.

VIDEO: New Aston Martin Rapide Promo Films [Part 3]

Aston Martin has released the third and final part of its promotional trilogy ?True Power Should Be Shared? starring the Rapide four-door coupe. There"s less action in this film as our heroes drive towards their destination, wondering what they are transporting. Well, it turns out to be some kind of a time machine, which saves them from being killed in an ambush and returns them to Lisbon, where everything started. Not what we expected, but at least the Rapide didn?t get blown up. Hit the jump to watch the video.

By Csaba Daradics

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Kia Takes on Time Travelling with New Super Bowl Commercial for 2011 Optima

This year"s Super Bowl is just around the corner and automakers are getting ready to spend millions of dollars to draw the attention of buyers. For a second year in a row, Kia will be present at the event with a full marketing campaign incorporating TV, digital, print and social media as well as in-dealership components, all focusing on the 2011 Optima midsize sedan.

The highlight of the campaign is a new 60-second spot that will air in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLV titled ?One Epic Ride?. According to the company, the ad shows people across space and time "from a police officer and an international villain to aliens and an ancient chief" trying to get their hands on the all-new Optima, which "becomes an object of desire even for Poseidon", the Greek god of the sea.

?2010 was a historic year for Kia, including our best-ever U.S. sales and our first Super Bowl commercial, and it was an easy decision to return to the game this year to build on the brand?s momentum with the arrival of the all-new 2011 Optima,? said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. ?The first phase of the Optima launch promised that this vehicle is ?not your average midsize sedan,? and we knew we had to deliver something big for this year?s Super Bowl to give this eye-catching vehicle the attention it deserves, while at the same time generating fun and genuine interactions with consumers before, during and after the Super Bowl.?

The South Korean automaker said it will extend the campaign by giving away up to five new Optimas through its ?One Epic Contest,? a game in which consumers will have to solve a series of puzzles using clues found in pre-Super Bowl and game day advertisements and social media postings.

VW will Tease Next Beetle, Show Off 2012 Passat in Super Bowl XLV TV Spots

Joining an increasing number of advertisers, Volkswagen plans to air two never before seen TV spots during the 2nd and 4th quarters of Super Bowl XLV on February 6. The 30-seconds ads will showcase two models, the all-new 2012 Passat sedan that we first saw in Detroit earlier this month, and the so-called 21st Century Beetle.

The German company has teamed with Lucasfilms for the 2012 Passat spot, which will feature a pint-sized Darth Vader making use of the Force when he discovers the family saloon in the driveway.

The commercial for the next generation of the Beetle won"t actually show the car but it will supposedly tease its silhouette while showing a beetle scurrying through the ground like a car outperforming all the other creatures. "The ad is an homage to some of the greatest car chase scenes in the history of film and TV," said VW of America in a statement.The next Beetle is scheduled to get its official debut in May.

?Both spots show the creativity and innovation that people expect from an iconic brand like Volkswagen,? added Mike Sheldon, CEO, Deutsch LA, Volkswagen?s Agency of Record. ?The Super Bowl is unlike any other media platform in the world in terms of its reach and cultural influence. It is tailor-made for big announcements and is the perfect way for VW to engage the American public.?

VW will Tease Next Beetle, Show Off 2012 Passat in Super Bowl XLV TV Spots

Joining an increasing number of advertisers, Volkswagen plans to air two never before seen TV spots during the 2nd and 4th quarters of Super Bowl XLV on February 6. The 30-seconds ads will showcase two models, the all-new 2012 Passat sedan that we first saw in Detroit earlier this month, and the so-called 21st Century Beetle.

The German company has teamed with Lucasfilms for the 2012 Passat spot, which will feature a pint-sized Darth Vader making use of the Force when he discovers the family saloon in the driveway.

The commercial for the next generation of the Beetle won"t actually show the car but it will supposedly tease its silhouette while showing a beetle scurrying through the ground like a car outperforming all the other creatures. "The ad is an homage to some of the greatest car chase scenes in the history of film and TV," said VW of America in a statement.The next Beetle is scheduled to get its official debut in May.

?Both spots show the creativity and innovation that people expect from an iconic brand like Volkswagen,? added Mike Sheldon, CEO, Deutsch LA, Volkswagen?s Agency of Record. ?The Super Bowl is unlike any other media platform in the world in terms of its reach and cultural influence. It is tailor-made for big announcements and is the perfect way for VW to engage the American public.?

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Kia Takes on Time Travelling with New Super Bowl Commercial for 2011 Optima

This year"s Super Bowl is just around the corner and automakers are getting ready to spend millions of dollars to draw the attention of buyers. For a second year in a row, Kia will be present at the event with a full marketing campaign incorporating TV, digital, print and social media as well as in-dealership components, all focusing on the 2011 Optima midsize sedan.

The highlight of the campaign is a new 60-second spot that will air in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLV titled ?One Epic Ride?. According to the company, the ad shows people across space and time "from a police officer and an international villain to aliens and an ancient chief" trying to get their hands on the all-new Optima, which "becomes an object of desire even for Poseidon", the Greek god of the sea.

?2010 was a historic year for Kia, including our best-ever U.S. sales and our first Super Bowl commercial, and it was an easy decision to return to the game this year to build on the brand?s momentum with the arrival of the all-new 2011 Optima,? said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. ?The first phase of the Optima launch promised that this vehicle is ?not your average midsize sedan,? and we knew we had to deliver something big for this year?s Super Bowl to give this eye-catching vehicle the attention it deserves, while at the same time generating fun and genuine interactions with consumers before, during and after the Super Bowl.?

The South Korean automaker said it will extend the campaign by giving away up to five new Optimas through its ?One Epic Contest,? a game in which consumers will have to solve a series of puzzles using clues found in pre-Super Bowl and game day advertisements and social media postings.

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VIDEO: New Chrysler Ad Emphasizes the Importance of Style

In its latest commercial, Chrysler takes a trip down memory lane, showcasing some of its vintage models and wonders what ever happened to the glamour and style that these cars represented. And you guessed it; according to Chrysler, good "ol American style is making a comeback on the firm"s new models like the recently launched 300 sedan. Video available after the jump.

By Csaba Daradics

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VIDEO: New Aston Martin Rapide Promo Films [Part 2]

As promised, Aston Martin released the second part of a new promotional series of films featuring the Rapide sports saloon. Called ?True Power Should Be Shared?, it?s a more of an action-packed sequel, showing longer driving scenes and a spectacular fight sequence, as the story gets more substance. Still, this is no James Bond movie, although seeing and hearing the British four-door coupe kind of makes up for the lack of originality. Video available after the jump.

By Csaba Daradics

Via: Worldcarfans

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VIDEO: Lexus Sets the Bar High, Chains Four Cars on LS in New TV Ad

In another sign that luxury automakers in the U.S. are raising the stakes -or so to speak- with their latest commercials, following Audi"s recent A8 ad, Lexus has released a new TV spot as part of an advertising campaign to demonstrate how far the company goes to achieve perfection.

This particular broadcast ad is titled ?Chain? and it shows a crane slowly lifting the front end of a LS, which is attached to four more Lexus models (RX, GS, ES and IS) using nothing more than cables and stretch bars. At the end of the spot, a $375,000 LFA comes into the shot and parks directly below the chain of vehicles weighing a total 21,000 pounds.

The key point here is that the commercial is real and that no special effects were used for its creation as Lexus proves in the "Behind the Scenes" video.

?It isn?t enough to just say that we pursue perfection, we want to demonstrate the great lengths we go to in our pursuit,? states Dave Nordstrom, vice president of marketing for Lexus.

?The new broadcast spot allows us to focus on the foundation of our vehicles, the chassis, and show its almost unbelievable strength. In fact, we feared that it would be so unbelievable, we invited a physicist and structural engineer to witness the shoot, to prove that it did, in fact, occur without the use of special effects or computer generated-imagery.?

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VIDEO: 2011 Audi A8 Commercial Mocks the Mercedes S-Class

With its new commercial for the 2011 A8, Audi of America is opening a fresh chapter in the advertisement wars. Taking inspiration from the 1947 children?s book Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, the ad portrays S-Class owners as gluttonous people with an excessive lifestyle, representing the age of ?old luxury?. The 60 second clip is said to be a prelude to the upcoming Super Bowl TV spot, set to air in the first break on Super Bowl Sunday, February 6, 2011. Hit the jump to watch the video.

By Csaba Daradics

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Alonso and Massa Earn their Living Promoting 2011 Jeep Wrangler

We have to admit that we feel for Ferrari"s F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. As if being forced to wear jokey caps, blouses and t-shirts full of ads, and drive around exclusively in Fiat Group products such as the Abarth 500 wasn"t enough of a pain in the behind (a quick look at their bank statements should ease the pain though...), the dynamic duo is now being used to promote the Chrysler Group"s offerings such as the Jeep Wrangler.

According to a press statement from the Italian automaker, this particular photo shoot is one of the many initiatives of the "Wrooom 2011 ? F1 & MotoGP Press Ski Meeting", an event organized in Madonna di Campiglio (Trento) in which the Fiat Group is the official sponsor.

The Jeep Wrangler featured at the event is a facelifted 2011MY in Rubicon trim powered by a new 2.8-liter common-rail turbo diesel Euro 5 engine with DPF producing 200 HP at 3,600 rpm and 410 Nm of torque at 2,000-3,200 rpm on models with a six-speed manual gearbox and 460 Nm at 1,600-2,600 rpm when combined with a new five-speed automatic transmission.

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VIDEO: New Aston Martin Rapide Promo Films [Part 1]

As part of its first foray into the digital campaign medium, Aston Martin will release three new promotional videos, featuring the breathtaking Rapide four-door coupe. Filmed in Lisbon, Portugal, the video follows a group of ?agents? commissioned by a mysterious person to deliver a precious package, without opening it. A very Ronin-ish plot, we know.

The introductory part is available after the jump, while the second and third clips will follow on January 19 and 26, respectively.

?We wanted to deliver a subtle but clever piece of branded entertainment. Something that mirrors the thrill of the drive. Intelligent, dramatic yet very exciting. It"s an action-packed Aston Martin story in three parts, designed to entertain our audience. We"re not hard selling, we"re showcasing. After all it is the thinking man"s (and woman"s) performance car?, Film Director Donnie Masters from Serious Pictures said.

By Csaba Daradics

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VIDEO: Dacia Duster Commercial Redefines ?Insulting? [NSFW]

This here commercial for Dacia"s low-cost Duster SUV is the work of Dutch advertising company Artcore. We should warn you that the ad is a 1 minute and 46 second parade of almost continuous swearing. While we can appreciate some over-the-top creations, we just can?t see this ever airing, at least not during daytime hours. But even if the commercial somehow made it on your TV set, we doubt that this is what Dacia wants to promote.

The commercial has been labeled as ?banned? by various internet sources, but it seems to have been produced to showcase a radical idea, rather than to be purpose driven advertisement. The foul-mouthed clip is available right after the break.

By Csaba Daradics

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Raunchy Lesbian Ad for Renault Twingo Banned in Italy

What woman wouldn’t falsely seduce another to steal her shirt? No, this isn’t another one of my sexist rants: it’s a (legitimate?) question posed by a Renault ad that has been banned in Italy.

The ad features two women – who I’ll refer to as the blonde and the brunette – who sneak off together for some hanky-panky bedroom fun. The brunette undresses; the blonde blindfolds her and steals her pink top, later comparing it to the color of her Renault Twingo Miss Sixty.

The ad was created by the Milanese arm of French advertising firm Publicis, which Renault had used before to great effect with the highly popular Papa et Nicole ads of the 1990s for the Renault Clio I. However, this latest ad has not gone down well in Italy, with TV RAI (essentially Italy’s BBC) and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi"s Mediaset organization refusing to air it. It has also outraged the nation’s gay-lesbian groups which claim it is offensive to homosexual women.

Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera asks:

"Is it controversial or cutting edge? One thing for certain though at no point during the advert is any technical aspect of the new Renault Twingo ever mentioned."

Can’t you be both controversial and cutting edge? Lady Gaga (sort of) falls into this category, doesn’t she? *Is pelted with rotten tomatoes* Okay, okay; and let us never speak of her again.

Publicis spokeperson Daniele Tranchini defends the controversial ad:

"We wanted to create an advert that was original, enjoyable and at the same time not vulgar and I believe we have achieved that. What is clever is that you think the advert is going one way but in the end it goes another - its great don"t you think?"

For the time being, the ad is only being aired on Sky and has not be shown outside of Italy. Thanks to YouTube, you – our loyal readers – can see the ad for yourselves and render your verdict in the comment’s section below.

By Tristan Hankins

Via: Dailymail & USA Today

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Audi Proposes R8 Spyder Car Cover for Unhappy BMW and Mercedes Owners

From the creators of last year"s R8 V10 garage door decal promo, comes this new advertising project for Audi. This time, creative advertising agency Lowe Roche, came up with a groovy Audi R8 Spyder car cover aimed at BMW and Mercedes-Benz owners who are disappointed with their vehicles, as well as the rest of us who can"t afford [...] Ingolstadt"s flagship roadster model.

Here"s the description from Lowe Roche"s webpage: "Don’t have an Audi R8 Spyder? Now you can pretend to have one. Trick your neighbors, and best of all, trick yourself into thinking you have the car of your dreams. Perfect for the BMW or Mercedes owner in your life filled with regret."

Is it just me, or does the wording make the description sound overly conceited?

Source: Lowe Roche

VIDEO: Tata Tries to Boost Nano Sales with New Ad

As previously reported, Tata Nano sales in India have dropped significantly in the past few month, with just 509 customers opting for the US $2,900 micro car, down from 9,000 in July. It seems that Indian buyers have higher aspirations and are moving away from the Nano, as the nation’s market is booming. Reliability issues and a few spontaneously combusting units didn’t help sales either.

To mend the situation, the automaker has extended the car’s warranty and launched a new TV ad, depicting the Nano as the most lovable thing of Earth. Hit the jump to watch the commercial.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Youtube , Via: Indian Autos Blog

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Flashback: Delta Lloyd"s Epically Awesome Boomcar Commercial

Even though this commercial from Delta Lloyd, an insurance company with operations in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, has been making the internet rounds for quite some time now, somehow it slipped under our radar. Now, no thanks to a tip from one of our readers, we"ve probably wasted half of our day watching the clip over and over again... Yes, it"s that awesome. Follow the jump to watch the Euro-tuned Boomcar ad along with a few more equally humorous commercials (all featuring the tag-line "must be Delta Lloyd insured") from the Dutch insurer.

Hat tip to Nick!

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VIDEO: Meet the Bad Boy Builders of Skoda’s Mean Green Fabia vRS

After focusing on the "Mean Green" machine first, Skoda has now released a follow-up video clip documenting the fictional bad boy crew that builds the Fabia vRS hot-hatch in the firm"s latest commercial on the car for the United Kingdom. The new campaign takes a darker but equally humorous twist on the Fabia’s ‘Made of Lovely Stuff’ proposition which was made famous by the 2007 Fabia ‘Cake’ commercial. You can watch the new ad in the video after the jump.

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VIDEO: Chrysler Promo Compares New 200 with Chevy Malibu and Ford Fusion

In what may be a sign of the times, the Chrysler Group is using bloggers, and members of social media sites and forums to promote its newest models on film. Here we see the company"s latest promotional clip showing off the restyled and upgraded Sebring sedan, which as most of you know, has been renamed to 200.

The video hosts a number of people from various websites as well as one of its own marketers, and compares the mid-size sedan with Chevrolet"s soon-to-be-replaced Malibu (see the official drawings here) and the Ford Fusion. Being a Chrysler made / edited promotional video, we"d take everything said with plenty grains of salt. Follow the break to watch the short clip.

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