The Audfather

Ad Age reports that Audi’s pimping “The Godfather” to shill its new R8 sportster in a :60 for the Super Bowl. OK. I can live with that. Fred Astaire danced with a vacuum; the apocalypse has already begun. But it was CMO Scott Keogh’s rationale behind felching from the Coppola epic that triggered the WTF Alarm:

"If you look at 'The Godfather,' the movie is about a classic American struggle," he told Ad Age at the North American International Auto Show. The automaker, he said, is in a "classic struggle against old views of luxury. ... Audi, of course, represents the new luxury."

Yes, the “classic American struggle”: illegal gambling rings, money laundering, and barbershop assassinations. What happened to white picket fences and making the mortgage? Last time I checked, that was what I struggled to do.

And the “classic struggle against old views of luxury?” Naturally, it’s just like gunning down a mob boss outside the neighborhood produce stand.

My guess: he watched “The Godfather” one weekend on TBS. A half bottle of 25-year Tawny later, in between bad Brando imitations and imaginary shoot outs with his coat rack, he’s in his silk jammies scribbling out the bestest Audi campaign ever creationalized! I’m guessing the moronic explanation he gave to Ad Age came the morning after this coyote ugly concept was conceived. It gives me a headache just thinking of it.

Dishing the creative before strategy only works for people named Hal Riney.

Edit: I saw the spot. It has its charms. The marketing guy's "justification" is still absurd.

M.M.McDermott, ACD/Copywriter/Hater