Acura’s latest television ads bring aggression and elegence with two star athletes.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson and Canadian Olympic Ski Cross gold medalist Ashleigh McIvor are both featured in the new 2012 Acura TL commecials produced by SKUNK.
UPDATE: For those looking for information on the songs played in the videos, I found out it was an original track created just for the Acura campaign produced by a company called Human. Unfortunately I don’t think there is more to the musical piece that goes beyond what is in the commercial.
[Source: SKUNK]
Wow Calvin Johnson for Acura? Who would have thought…
Cool commercial though
Easily one of my fav Acura commercials. I’m really starting to like the new TL design.
What is this piece of music? It’s so similiar to Bach’s Solo Cello in G Major but that’s not it.
Is this an original piece? Where can I hear more?
ANYBODY???????
Yea what song is this. I’m a musician and i would really like to learn how to play this.
I want her shoes! Where can I buy the pumps she wears with the gown? I love my Acura TL!
Fabulous commercial! Evan more fabulous the music! What is the name of the cello piece?
Think the new commercials of athletes getting undressed are in poor taste. Don’t see the relationship between that and your cars. Shame on you all.
I NEED THAT SONGGGG
…? This commercial makes no sense.
I just saw an Acura ad on TV right now promoting agression as sexy.
What idiot decided to make the lives of females even more vulnerable than they already are
by appeaingl to the violent and sexist members of society?
That is offensive, dangerous, and very, very wrong.
Agression is not elegant; it is stupid and irresponsable.
Shame on Acura and Honda for letting this happen.
Ito san, stop this please.
@tuigim
I think you have it all wrong. What part of the ad promoted violence? The woman was an olympic gold medalist. They are showing how a person can be an aggressive athlete and still be refined and elegant when they are not in their spoorts gear. NOT physical violence towards women.
I found this commercial actually pretty offensive… I love attractive people undressing as much as the next guy. But refinement and class are from clothes?
This commercial implies that I can just get some body work and a paint job on my old truck. Then my vehicle will have class too!
@Someone
If you take an all star receiver or gold medalist out of the gear they compete, sweat and bleed in; then clean them up and put them in a perfectly tailored suit or elegant dress – I do think that is refinement to some degree.
The point is on the outside they may look proper and refined, but on the inside they are still super athletes that can compete aggressively and win in their respective sports.
AWFUL commercials! What car company in its right mind would tie an “aggression” theme to driving, with all the crazy drivers out there these days?
Another vote against the idea that “aggression” is something admirable. Head back to the thesaurus, Acura. There’s got to be a better word for what you mean.
oh god please shut up…..same reason ford and dodge always have a construction looking type in their commercials because thats what they are aiming for!!!! Why in the world would acura feature a homeless looking person to promote a luxury car??@Someone
Aggression in its most elegant form? Possibly the worst slogan and commercial on TV right now (along with the State Farm and Farmers Insurance campaigns). The musical dirge may appeal to hardcore cellists, but not the rest of the world. Just awful. Seriously, the choice of music is shockingly horrendous and I’d be surprised if people did not lose their jobs over this. This dreary 30 second piece is depressing and another sign that Acura has truly lost touch with the market. Magically undressing Calvin Johnson might work for a Men’s Wearhouse commercial but not selling cars. The choice to display the nude back of Ashleigh McIvor does not even deserve comment here. Whichever way you try to interpret the intentions of the commercial’s creators, it boils down to selling cars, and this waste of advertising dollars is an utter fail.
I see what they are going for: strength can also look beautiful, but ultimately a horrible message– It works on people: aggression! Strength or power are ideas that I’d like to promote, but ‘aggression’ is not. Promoting aggression in people is a message that contributes to an atmosphere which allows violence against women. Acura should be ashamed of this politically incorrect message and should pull the ads.
@Betsy Jackson
Also, while the videos put the (horribly insensitive and misogynistic) phrases into context, there are shorter ads that do not include a video component. The shortened ads just have the words: It works on people; it works on cars. Aggression in its most elegant form. Acura is irresponsible for letting this ad through.
@Betsy Jackson
There is a reason why they chose athletes, it’s because they are referring to aggression in sports!
And they use both a male and female athlete how does it promote violence against women. Ashley is a gold medalist in ski scross – hardly a fragile or weak sport. She’s probably tougher than many guys!
Love the commercials, BRING BACK THE ACURA LEGEND! BLACK AMERICA HAS BEEN WAITING FOR YEARS!
I googled this today, following an add I saw in the August 31st, 2011, Wine Spectator magazine showing a boxing glove on one page and an Acura TL on the oppossite page with the caption, “Aggression in its most elegant form.” It only made me think that this is symptomatic of the violent-tolerant society that we are helping to create and reinforce. It’s clear that they want to sell cars, and they are choosing to use a subtle form of violence (that’s what aggression is) to achieve their goals. They are pandering to the lowest common denominator in our human nature. Their means justify their ends. A terrible philosophy to follow. I hope Acura reconsiders what they are condoning. Terrible PR.
I agree. I think these ads are disgusting. We have more than enough aggressive drivers on the roads as it is. I think it’s totally offensive. It’s reckless of Acura to go with an ad that appears to celebrate angry driving.
OMG…aggression does not equal violence, get a life and quit nit picking everything thing you see as affront to society ills. An athlete has power/aggression and can dress up and become beautiful – that is the point, nothing else….
@tuigim
Javier B –
I think you could have written this!
http://revoltoftheimbeciles.blogspot.com/2011/10/acura-elegant-ugly.html
I’m convinced it’s this simple: Acura management are simpletons who hire a simpleton ad agency that hires simpletons copywriters. The writers of the “aggression” commercials lack the sophistication in the English language to make the distinction between aggression and aggressiveness (which, by the way takes 1/3 more of a second to say). The former, warlikeness and combativenes, is to be deplored and avoided — at the personal level or at the national level. The latter, meaning assertiveness and even courage, is to be admired in business as in sports. Fools such as these Acura people and their minions won’t spend 1/3 of a second on being socially responsible. They corrupt our language. The help corrupt thinking in general. I can afford their products, but I wouldn’t touch one, as a matter of conscience.
@Andrew
Well said!
I absolutely LOVE this commercial. Honestly, before I started reading these comments, none of these thoughts about violence even entered my mind. What is wrong with you people? How do you take something so simple and complicate it to the extreme? How does anyone look at this commercial and get a message about violence against women or aggressive driving, or tolerating violence in our society? There is something seriously wrong with you people….and I mean that in the nicest most non-aggressive way possible.
@Andrew
I don’t think your distinction of aggression and aggressiveness is as obvious as you make it out to be. They are closely linked and when referring to sports or used in slogan or title the lines may be blurred a little more.
For example a club called “Aggression Volleyball League” or “Aggression Mixed Martial Arts” works. But try using aggressiveness instead and it doesn’t quite have the ring.
I don’t like the Acura commercials that seem to imply that reckless driving is cool. I think we have enough reckless drivers on the road in Southern California without encouraging more of them. I am a current Acura TSX owner, but these commercials certainly do not encourage me to buy another one.