Audi’s slow TV road trip is the cure to isolation blues
Client work
weare.social
With the world bingeing TikTok and The Last Dance indoors, Audi sought a way to reconnect their house-bound customers with the freedom of the open road. Together, we created The Drive: a 4-hour long film which allows customers to experience the soothing nature of a long road journey from the safety of their homes, during the Coronavirus lockdown.
Inspired by the slow TV movement, The Drive takes you on an immersive road journey through breathtaking Australian landscapes in an Audi A6. The film was shot in the NSW Central Tablelands by director Luke Bouchier at Finch, who used multiple cameras to replicate the experience of driving the car.
With a high level of restrictions in place at the time of filming, we used a small crew of just four people (two per car), following the government regulations which were in place to ensure the utmost health and safety of the team. 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 too.
The nimble team rigging the Audi A5 during our shoot for The Drive.
Our first collab with Audi since we were appointed to the account in January, The Drive tapped into our shared ambition to give customers a more personalised experience and grow their community through innovative storytelling.
Part of the appeal for using a long, slow TV-style approach was to tap into the zen nature of the movement. By encouraging a moment of calm in an otherwise frantic climate, we could satisfy a desire that people were craving more than ever. People and publishers alike felt the zen of The Drive including AdAge, GQ, Fast Company and more.
“Whether you watch for ten minutes or the full four hours, The Drive will leave you feeling just that little bit calmer. And right now, that’s enough.”
In the words of our managing director, Suzie Shaw: “These are truly unprecedented times, when we’re all trying to figure out how to maintain some sort of continuity in our lives. And in times like these, rather than try to sell people something, we have been focussing on how to make their life better. So at a time when people can’t get out on the open road, we thought we’d bring the open road to them.”
So next time you want to mentally stretch your legs, why not drive instead?
Credits:
Brand – Audi Australia
Agency – We Are Social Australia
Production Company – Finch Company
Post Production – Atticus (part of Finch)
Audi Australia
Senior Communications Executive / Driver – Sean McEver
