1980s Comic Car Commercials

The Volkswagen 'Feeling Carefree' Ad Uses A-Ha for Inspiration

If you were a fan of A-Ha in the 1980s, you’ll appreciate the Volkswagen Feeling Carefree commercial.

The music video for ‘Take on Me’ is an extremely fun video, as it’s shot like a black and white comic book. The opening is of a racer determined to cross the finish line. As the video continues it shifts to a real life woman bored in a diner until the dreamy man in the comic book comes to life and whisks her away for an adventure.

The Volkswagen ad begins exactly like this, however some elements have changed to embody the car. First, the winner of the race is driving a Volkswagen. Second, the end of the ad hilariously reveals that the comics were drawn by a man who was singing in an important work meeting. After the meeting the man walks to his Volkswagen.

This Feeling Carefree commercial wants to portray to viewers that people who drive a Volkswagen don’t take life seriously yet they always win.

Comic Book-inspired Commercials
Explore the trend of using comic book aesthetics and storytelling in commercials to create a visually engaging experience.
Nostalgia-driven Marketing
Discover the trend of leveraging nostalgia from the 1980s to resonate with audiences and evoke positive emotions.
Humorous Advertising Endings
Uncover the trend of incorporating unexpected and humorous endings in advertisements to leave a lasting impression.

Sectors Adopting This

Automotive
Explore opportunities for automotive companies to use comic book-inspired visuals and storytelling in their advertisements to create a unique brand image.
Entertainment
Discover how the entertainment industry can capitalize on nostalgia-driven marketing by creating content that appeals to audiences who have a fondness for 1980s aesthetics and culture.
Advertising and Marketing
Find disruptive innovation opportunities for the advertising and marketing industry by incorporating humor and unexpected twists in advertisements to capture and retain audience attention.
SCORE
3.7 out of 10
GENDER
90% Men10% Women
MARKETTop markets: North America
GENERATION
  • Gen Z
  • Gen Alpha
  • Millennial (primary audience)
  • Gen X (primary audience)
POPULARITY
Popularity 45%
Activity 57%
Freshness 8%