In the spirit of end of year lists, the RedlineNorth team has compiled a few of the most memorable car ads and promotions from 2012.  With the sheer amount of car advertising out there each year it can be sometimes hard to distinguish one commercial from another. The following were selected for creativity, humour and thinking outside the box, or in the first example, thinking inside the box!

Hot Wheels Promotion

In this promotion Hot Wheels placed a life size replica of a hot wheels box around the cars of unsuspecting shoppers at a mall.  When the shoppers returned to their vehicles they found their vehicle had been turned into a Hot Wheels car. Quite a simple, yet creative way to get your product noticed. Source: Adweek, Comunicadores

Hot Wheels Promotion

Life size Hot Wheels box

Lightsaber Insurance Ad

Does your car insurance company cover damage caused by flying lifesabers? Well this insurance company in Asia does.  In this funny commercial for a free in-car camera by DBS insurance, one just never knows what can happen to your car in a parking lot when you’re not around!  The RedlineNorth team loved the concept of this ad and the CGI work.

DeLorean NYC Taxi

Okay, this doesn’t quite qualify on a 2012 list as it was created for a student advertising competition a couple of years ago, the RedlineNorth Team thought it was worth a mention.  This NYC DeLorean Taxi is alas not real, but is a pretty cool mock up nonetheless.  Take me up to 88 mph and step on it!

Source: Hypervocal

Fiat 500 Abarth

Entitle Not All Bad Boys Are Created Equal this Fiat 500 Abarth commercial features Charlie Sheen tearing around a mansion in a black Fiat 500 Abarth.  The commercial shows him wearing an ankle monitor after being sentenced to house arrest.  The video has garnered over 4 million views since it launched in March of 2012 and proves Charlie’s still got it. Fiat has been creating some very creative commercials for the Abarth recently, including this one entitled the Immigrants.

The Bark Side

Shown as a teaser for a longer Volkswagen 2012 Super Bowl ad, this Volkswagen commercial shows off the lyrical talents of a group of dogs barking a recognizable tune. This ad went viral and has been viewed almost 18 million times, while the longer Super Bowl commercial has been viewed over 55 million times, proving the marketing power of anything Star Wars.

The RedlineNorth team looks forward to seeing what the advertising agencies will come up with in 2013 and we won’t have to wait that long as the 2013 Super Bowl is just around the corner.  You can bet at least one or two automakers will be launching some new commercials during the game.