Car brand Dacia has launched a new TV ad filmed in an apartment in Tel Aviv during lockdown.
The piece aims to show that when you apply Dacia’s smart engineering and ingenuity to the world of marketing, you can make a little go a long way.
As lockdown restrictions ease, Dacia is keen to be front of mind for those thinking of buying a new car.
Dacia ad spot
Created by Publicis•Poke, the 30-second spot was directed and produced by Vania & Muggia through Iconoclast Films. It was shot in their flat in Tel Aviv.
It took four weeks to produce using three laptops, a drill, a record player, some bike lights and a 1:43 scale model of a Dacia Duster.
The film opens on an epic tracking shot of a Dacia Duster with all the hallmarks of the typical car commercial.
Streetlights sweep past, revealing the curves of the bodywork and the spinning alloy wheels.
The LED headlights flare in the camera lens. Wind and driving sounds can be heard as the music kicks in.
In a slow move, the camera pulls back from the car, but all is not as it seems.
As laptop keyboards and people start coming into frame, we realise the car is not full size, but a scale model sat on top of one laptop screens playing a rolling road video with another laptop providing the backdrop for the illusion.
Fab, fun FX
As the camera pulls back further, it’s revealed that the music isn’t a soundtrack; it’s being played in realtime by one of the video creators using glasses and bottles filled with water.
A carefully positioned hairdryer is creating the sound of the road. Even the narration is being delivered in realtime via speakerphone.
“Dacia is able to offer high quality and robust vehicles for little cash outlay, not as a result of scrimping on quality, but through ingenious engineering and the use of proven technology”, Adam Wood, Marketing Director at Dacia UK said.
“We wanted to apply the same principles to our latest TV advert and this approach was more relevant than ever due to production restrictions as a result of lockdown.
“As with our model line-up, it’s impressive how much you can achieve with a little.”
Dave Monk, Executive Creative Director at Publicis•Poke said: “Lockdown has put restrictions on the creative industries like never before, but constraints always bring out the most inventive thinking.
“Dacia is a car brand that prides itself on its affordable ingenious engineering; so it made sense that the work we made was an affordable ingenious little production in itself.
“‘Ingenious Productions’ is a platform born out of recent times; but should have a lot of miles left in its tank.”