Just yesterday we showed you speeding cars through the ever-changing areas of Great Britain, and these fast race cars were enough to confuse a world-renowned voice actor, Maurice LaMarche. Now, let’s do something completely opposite. We’ve still got three really fast cars, but it’s not hard driving fast in a fast car, the real challenge is actually holding back. Imagine you’ve been invited to a closed track and you’re supposed to drive some really powerful cars.
Namely, the Volkswagen GTI. These were first introduced in Denmark in 1976 and they represented one of the most dramatic changes within the car industry with its compact form and lightness. Seven generations later, the GTI is still bringing in thrills for drivers of all kinds around the world. Now, imagine you’ve got yourselves a ‘pacey’ vehicle and a free racing circuit. Yet, you’re told not to drive fast. And that’s exactly what happened to former F1 driver Nicolas Kiesa, comedian Thomas Hartmann, and TV host Adam Duvå Hall.
The counterintuitive challenge comes from Copenhagen-based agency NORD DDB who are quite familiar with how fast cars are normally rated based upon the time it takes them to go from 0 kilometres per hour to 100 km/h (or circa 62 mph). Yet, this test was done so many times that the agency decided to switch around the way cars are tested in TV programs, but instead of using a normal advertising setup, they used a full TV-crew. And 3 drivers with different driving skills to see how could set up a new 0-100 km/h record in 3 different Volkswagen GTI models: Golf GTI, Polo GTI and up! GTI.
These GTI models have secured their place as one history’s greatest performance cars. From the first Golf GTI back in 1976, the GTI technology is now also available in the two new models Polo and up!. Martin Thorsen, Head of Marketing Volkswagen explains the thought process behind the sluggish campaign: “With this new film, we hope to emphasize Volkswagens ownership of the GTI category. Most people know the Golf GTI, so this is our chance to show the up! GTI and Polo GTI as well. And doing it in an untraditional manner – without mentioning horsepower and acceleration time. Or even prices”.
Now, here comes the actual challenge—which the F1 driver Kiesa calls ‘the dumbest race ever’—and it proves to be quite difficult (and surprisingly entertaining) for all three drivers. It doesn’t really matter if you are a new driver, a car enthusiast, or an actual professional driver, the challenge shows that it’s surprisingly hard to control your foot on the gas pedal with the powerful engine quietly roaring beneath the hood. Just watch the race for the world’s slowest 0-100 km/h race for yourselves!
CREDITS:
Volkswagen Denmark
Head of Marketing: Martin Thorsen
Campaign Manager: Camilla Esmark
NORD DDB
Senior Art Director: Mark Rif Torbensen
Senior Copywriter: Tim Fremmich Andresen
Account Director: Mette Ingemann
Creative Director: Thomas Fabricius
Designer: Louise Skafte
Digital producer: David Cytryn
Digital Director: Eskil Busck
Strategist: Martin Meyer
Production Company: Spoiled Productions
Head of Production: Kristina Karlsson
Director & Producer: Michael Iversen
Line Producer: Louise Janniche
Sound design: Morten Soegaard
Editing: Mark Balstrup
Colorist / VFX: Shilo Duffy
Media agency: OMD Denmark