Car Commercials

For many people out there the name "Volkswagen" is associated with the name "Golf." But, for the real Volkswagen fans it is the classic cars that make them nostalgic. Cars like T1 or the classic Beetle make many hearts beat faster.

So, why not feature them in the latest "Twinkle Light Cruise?"

The automotive industry has evolved dramatically over the past 50 years. Modern cars are more practical, efficient, and comfortable, and come with better technology. As the cars evolved, so did the advertising industry. Gone are the day when automakers created prints and posters to promote their latest products, now being replaced by high-resolution video ads for massive television and internet campaigns. With Christmas being one of the most important celebrations of the year, it’s around this time that most companies launch expensive publicity stunts.

This has been the case since the early days of the automobile, but instead of computer-generated footage made with big budgets, car makers used print ads to bring customers into dealerships. It might seem old-fashioned nowadays, but some of these old ads were quite inspiring and attractive. Naturally, some weren’t very good, but that’s the beauty of marketing. Sometimes you succeed and sometimes you fail with a bang. For this Christmas, I selected a few of the most interesting vintage car ads for a trip down the memory lane that goes as far as the 1930s.

Check them out below and let me know which ones you like the most in the comments box. Also, feel free to post the ads that you feel I should have included in this list. Have a merry automotive Christmas!

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Everyone has that one car that means the world to them. Be that it is the first car you drove, the first car you bought with your own money, or the car you always dreamed of owning despite not having the money - there is always one that has a special place in your heart. But what if that car is even more special: what if that car was the car you bought for your wife a long time ago on that special Christmas? And what if life was hard on you and took your wife away from you?

Remember the famous Christmas lights scene from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”? Well, the Griswolds reunited last year after two decades to reprise that scene, with the only change being the addition of a Ford Mustang Mach-E this time. Ford roped in Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo to play Clark Griswold and Ellen from the Christmas-themed movie. Do you the Griswolds managed to have a drama-free Christmas this time at least?

Unlike last year’s Groundhog Day ad with Bill Murray and the Gladiator pickup truck, Jeep opted for a Super Bowl commercial that focuses on the bigger picture and the greater good. The ad features none other than Bruce Springsteen who delivers a heartfelt message to the viewers about finding ‘The Middle’ in terms of unity. Quite a brave attempt from Jeep, considering that all it showed was an old CJ-5 and, well, a rather controversial casting choice of the musician for this kind of a commercial.

Remember Edward Scissorhands from the namesake 1990 film? Well, Cadillac has introduced the character 30 years later to advertise its recently unveiled all-electric SUV, the Lyriq. It’s not Johnny Depp this time around; Timothée Chalamet has reprised the role of Depp and Winona Ryder’s son, Edgar, who has inherited his dad’s scissor hands and suffers from the same difficulty of doing the basic tasks around. A different scenario in a different generation, but everything in this one-minute long ad falls in place.

Instead of touting its new products, Toyota is taking a different approach with its Super Bowl LV commercial. The automaker is releasing a 60-second commercial, called Upstream, and featuring Jessica Long, an American swimmer who is the most decorated Paralympians in U.S. history. The ad touches on Long’s incredible journey from when she was adopted by an American couple from an orphanage in Siberia despite a rare medical condition that resulted in her legs getting amputated to becoming one of the greatest paralympic swimmers in history.

So, apparently, the fat man is rolling around this year with a fleet of Mercedes sedans and, wouldn’t you know it, he just happens to come across a heard of reindeer in the middle of nowhere. I suppose that’s only natural, and it should be expected. What’s more interesting, though, is how the reindeer are naturally drawn to Santa and his fleet of Mercedes sedans. While most deer would either stand in place and stare blindly at the light or take off running for their lives, these reindeer do something different.

Instead, they are interested in what’s going on – and probably wondering why the hell there’s a bunch of Mercedes sedans in the middle of nowhere, honestly. One, which is apparently, Rudolph decides to inspect the lead sedan and, wouldn’t you know it, Santa uses his magic to transfer the glow from behind the Mercedes emblem to the reindeer’s nose. He turned the glow red while he’s at it.

This short commercial is a fun watch, and it’s sure to get you into the spirit, so click play below and enjoy it for yourself.

With Christmas literally being a few days away, automakers have started rolling out their holiday greetings for the masses. BMW’s M Division is the latest to do so with a holiday-themed ad that features a vehicle that was never sold to the public. We’ve seen it a handful of times over the years, but this is probably the first time Bimmer is using the pickup version of the BMW M3 E30 for any of its promotional videos. Consider it a treat then that BMW is doing it for the holidays. Merry Christmas, indeed!

2006 seems like forever ago, doesn’t it? At the very least, it feels like a different lifetime. Social media was still in its infancy and the world felt a lot bigger back then. 2006 was also a big year for Ford. The Blue Oval was bringing the Shelby Mustang back to life after a 25-year absence. Ford went all-out in marketing the return of the Shelby nameplate, and one commercial, in particular, effectively hammered Ford’s point. The Shelby Mustang was a beast, and there really was just one road in the world that could have a proper dance with it: the German Autobahn.

The ad, called “Germany,” puts the spotlight squarely on the 2006 Shelby Mustang GT500 and what it could do on a stretch of road that didn’t have any speed limits. It’s a fascinating commercial to look back on given that the Shelby Mustang is now deep into its third generation.

Porsche is revving up to introduce the Taycan, its first all-electric vehicle, and its latest ad for the four-door includes some amazing footage of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest structure and building in the world. But is this a smart way to showcase an all-electric, green car? Considering that Burj Khalifa was built in Dubai, a place where most wealth comes mainly from oil?

If there’s anything we know about Kia, it’s that the automaker isn’t afraid to crosshairs with its rivals as it did in this new commercial for the new K5 sedan. The K5 is Kia’s latest pride and joy; it’s a four-door premium sedan that’s set to compete with some of the most entrenched models in its segment, including the BMW 3 Series.

Yes, Kia is packaging the K5 as a competitor to the 3 Series, so much so that this K5 commercial isn’t really so much about singing the K5’s praises as it is mocking Bimmer’s 330i sedan. They say that one should never tug at Superman’s cape, but it seems that Kia didn’t get that memo, or at least it did but completely ignored it.

Ricky Bobby is back, folks. Sort of. The star of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby now has his own Dodge commercial. Ok, so it’s not really Will Ferrell reprising his role as the GOAT of all NASCAR drivers, but the commercial does star Bobby during his childhood in 1981 where, apparently, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat also exists.

His childhood friend, Cal Naughton Jr., is also in the commercial, even though it’s also the childhood version of the character played by John C. Reilly. The “Shake” to Bobby’s “Bake” can be seen driving a Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock. Bobby’s father, Reese Bobby (played by Gary Cole), is also in the commercial — he’s the only one reprising role — driving a Dodge Durango Hellcat.