Anderson Brings Hollywood 'Vroom' To New Golf GTI Spot

The British-born Hollywood director, producer and writer, Paul WS Anderson, has completed his advertising debut with a high-octane spot for the new VW Golf GTI - the first car commercial to be aimed at advanced drivers over the age of 21.
Produced through The Mob Film Company ( www.mobfilm.com) for DDB Berlin, the 45-sec ad harnesses film industry crew and techniques, to show off the car's capabilities with a thrilling edge-of-the-seat ride, that earned Anderson a standing ovation from the VW board.
Anderson's brief, from DDB agency creatives Till Eckel and Johannes Hicks, focused on the campaign idea of advanced driving - to showcase the car's performance and style by shooting the spot like a Hollywood action movie, to bring viewers closer to the action than ever before, and to make pulses race! This proved a natural step for Anderson, who spent two years filming cars for Death Race, his spectacular re-make of the cult '70s feature about motor racing, released in autumn 2008.
Set during 'magic hour' and infused with exhilarating movie-style action, a gleaming white 2009 Golf GTI accelerates along an industrial dockside. The car cuts through the austere environment with breathtaking powerslides, adrenaline-filled reverses, and heart-racing zigzags, before squeezing under the descending door of a disused warehouse.
As it comes to rest, the action cuts to the car's interior, where the driver dangles the keys tantalisingly to the 18-year-old passenger and says... "Only when you are 21". The strap line reads, 'For advanced drivers only'. In Germany, the comic payoff is that the driver is played by Smudo, legendary rapper and car fanatic.
The spot was shot on location in Los Angeles, produced by The Mob's John Brocklehurst and employed Hollywood crew plus equipment specifically devised for Death Race. Three cars were used, with top Hollywood stunt driver and world champion 'drifter' Samuel Hubinette behind the wheel. The DP was leading automotive cinematographer Sebastian Pfaffenbichler.
Along with exhilarating head-on helicopter shots skimming less than a metre above the car, the spot also made full use of the latest camera rigs - never-before deployed in commercials - to create visually dynamic and unique shots of the car in action.
These included a Basketball Rig, enabling the car to powerslide directly into the camera lens, without damaging the car or the camera; a SuperSlider allowing the camera to glide just millimetres above the roof of the Golf GTI as it races underneath; and Skateboard Wheels that let the car be manoeuvred within a hairs' breadth of walls and corners.
Paul WS Anderson said: "I intended this as an immersive experience, to put viewers on the edge of their seats and keep them there. i wanted them to feel like they are behind the wheel of the most intense and stylish VW Golf to ever hit the streets. I think VW might have been a little worried I might blow the cars up at some point, but we gave all three cars back, still gleaming white and without a single dent."
DDB Berlin creative Till Eckel commented: "We needed to make the campaign idea about advanced drivers feel right, so we focused on performance in a way not seen in advertising before - which is were Paul came in. He understood the idea right away and pushed everything to the limit. Even more than the new techniques he used, his high requirements and expectations from the entire crew helped us to reach our goal. He proved that you do not need cars fitted with machine guns to create car scenes that take your breath away."
The spot was planned and shot entirely in-camera, with no visual effects added in post production. It was graded at Moving Picture Company by Jean-Clement Soret, with editing at Pirates n' Paradise in Berlin. The production received a standing ovation when it was presented to the VW board in Berlin. It will initially air in Germany and Luxembourg and is pencilled for global release.
Anderson, who was born and raised in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, is represented worldwide for commercials by The Mob Film Company. His motion picture productions Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil and Alien vs. Predator have collectively grossed more than $1.5 billion dollars worldwide.
To view the new VW Golf GTI spot, please visit: www.mobfilm.com/latest.
(KMcA/BMcc)