An Oscar-Worthy Commercial
“This isn’t one person’s goodbye or a company’s, it’s everyone’s goodbye.”
The spot marks the end of a seven decade “automotive love affair.”
Going down the YouTube rabbit hole looking at years and years of Oscar-nominated animated shorts, I was reminded of Volkswagen’s recent 90-second animated commercial, “The Last Mile.” Created by ad agency Johannes Leonardo, the spot (which launched in January ) serves as the official farewell to the Volkswagen Beetle, which ended seven decades of production last year to make way for the future of mass-market electric cars.
When creating the campaign, “It was very intentional that we didn’t put any one person or moment on a pedestal,” said Chief Creative Officer, Leo Premutico. “The VW Beetle was the great equalizer for society and culture at large. This isn’t one person’s goodbye or a company’s, it’s everyone’s goodbye.”
It’s the depth of that heart-tugging goodbye that I was reminded of when watching all those equally moving shorts. Like its Oscar-worthy brethren, the spot reminds me what an amazing medium just 90-seconds of film can be in the hands of a brilliant storyteller.
See the spot here. And see if you don’t get a little teary.