shots Awards 2011: TV Commercial of the Year

Each year the hype surrounding the Super Bowl’s commercial breaks is almost as big as the build-up to the game itself, and while most brands keep their spots a closely guarded secret until the big Sunday, last February Volkswagen and its US agency Deutsch took the bold move to unleash their ad for the new Passat launch via YouTube several days early. And the risk paid off – the spot had racked up 12 million views before kick-off, and as well as picking up a gold Film Lion at Cannes and gold Clio award, The Force now has the title of shots Awards TV Commercial of the Year to add to its collection.

“Given the size and importance of Passat’s re-introduction into the biggest car segment in the US,” explains creative director on the job, Michael Kadin, “and the fact that the spot was premiering on the Super Bowl, we needed to do it in a big way. And nothing is bigger in our cultural zeitgeist than Star Wars. When this idea came to the table we instantly knew we had the right concept.”

Featuring a pint-sized Darth Vader determined to exercise his Jedi powers, directing duties were handed over to Park Pictures’ Lance Acord - whose success with the spot has also helped land him the shots Director of the Year accolade. Following its miniature protagonist as he tries his utmost to feel the Force and command everything from the family dog to his unblinking teddy bear, what does Kadin think was the winning formula that has made the spot such a hit?

“People universally relate to it and it touches on a universal theme,” he believes. “They see themselves or aspire to see themselves in the story. Kids want to be the boy and parents want to be those parents. We knew the kind of advertising everyone else would be doing in the Super Bowl and we wanted to have a marked contrast to all that work. So we set out to write a simple human story of enduring interest, and we wanted the message to be able to live long past the game. It also had Star Wars attached to it, which is one of the few cultural touchstones that nearly everyone in the world relates to.”

And with a whopping 45 million views for the spot to date on YouTube, the Force was most certainly with them on this one.

TV Commercial of the Year Shortlist

Weetabix Big Day

Heineken The Entrance

Intel The Chase

Volkswagen The Force

Cadbury Charity Shop

Doritos Dip Desperado

Honda Jazz This Unpredictable Life

H2Oh! Braids

Chrysler Born of Fire

Jim Beam Parallels