WHEN it comes to car adverts, it’s not leather interiors, flashy features or powerful engines that buyers want to see.
Manufacturers really need to find something unusual to help them sell their new motors – and the best ads always do.
Vehicle checking company HPI has put together a list of some of the greatest moments of automobile advertising to hit the small screen.
From giant explosions to dancing robots and a car make entirely from cake, marketers have been busy at work trying to make their motors stand out.
Read on to see the very best car adverts of all time.
A driver’s dream
There’s no denying Steve McQueen is one of the most iconic names linked to car scenes on the big screen.
So it’s only fitting the King of Cool features in one of the best ads on the small screen.
Ford released this digitally remastered version of one of McQueen’s driving scenes from the 1968 film Bullit.
And if you didn’t know better, you may even think the man himself was driving the silver 1997 Puma, rather than it being the work of clever computer graphics.
The Transformer
Citroen’s slogan for their 2004 model C4 was “alive with technology” – and their promotion for the car certainly lived up to that phrase.
The silver hatchback transforms into a dancing robot with some serious moves.
And the French marquee have used their transforming technique in more than one ad, with another clip for the four-door C4 showing an even bigger robot ice-skating.
Piece of cake
Skoda decided to showcase their Fabia by creating a life-sized replica entirely from cake.
The 2007 advert played on the slogan “full of lovely stuff”, as a team of bakers built the giant dessert.
It might not be the best way to show off a new car’s features, but it certainly grabs your attention.
The Cog
If this ad doesn’t draw you in, nothing will.
The mouse trap-like chain of car parts used in Honda’s 2003 Accord advert is one of the most memorising things you will watch.
Finished off with the hip-hop classic “Rapper’s Delight” as the complete car rolls off the blocks, the ad is so good it doesn’t even need a slogan at the end.
Singing in the Rain 2.0
What has a Volkswagen GTI got to do with Singing in the Rain? Not a whole lot, but the German car maker made it work.
Running on the slogan “the original, updated”, VW used modified CGI footage of late actor Gene Kelly hip-hop dancing next to the motor.
The catchy clip might not show much of the car, but it perfectly demonstrates the idea that the model has been given a modern twist.
Explosive TV
Possibly the most epic car ad of all time, Peugeot’s late 1980’s promotion for their 405 model is a real spectacle.
The French marquee thought their new car would take your breath away, so they dubbed footage of the car driving through flaming fields with the Berlin track.
It’s simple, but there’s not denying it’s effective.
The Squeaky Earring
This story-based ad is another courtesy of Volkswagen from 1990.
A male driver is out on the road with his female passenger, and is madly searching for an irritating squeaking noise in the car.
Eventually the driver pulls into a service station, where the mechanic discovers the squeak is coming from the female passenger’s earring.
The ad finishes with the line: “If only everything was as reliable as a Volkswagen.”
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Derren Martin, head of current valuations at HPI, said: “Over the years we’ve seen some outstanding, memorable car adverts ranging from the epic and Hollywood blockbuster-esque to the more subtle and clever.
“Manufacturers are always trying to go one better than their competitors with striking visuals, memorable soundtracks or catchy straplines.
“One thing is for sure and that is when it comes to motor advertising simply showcasing a car’s features is not enough – it takes much more than that to make a memorable advert.
“Car makers spend big money on advertising, so it’s no wonder that certain ads are so memorable and stand the test of time.”