Guilt by association is a powerful tool of condemnation. In a court of law, it’s called “speculation” and deemed inadmissible, but in the court of public opinion, who you hang with counts—a lot. It’s a phenomenon of human conditioning that cuts across all social strata; mobsters and presidents alike have suffered from guilt by association, and who among us wasn’t parentally admonished in our teens for palling around with “undesirables,” because, after all, what will people think? So it stands to reason that an opposite phenomenon—let’s call it “Qualified by Association”(QBA)—not only exists but also is equally powerful.
This is certainly true in the world of car marketing, which is why manufacturers spend big bucks to sponsor events and get product placement when they believe the result will be positive image transfer. Nissan elevated the concept to a whole new level in 2011 when it plastered Infiniti’s name on Formula 1 cars powered by another marque’s engines. My first thought when the deal was announced was, This Coke has been brought to you by Pepsi. Okay, maybe it’s not that bad because Nissan and Renault are allied, and Renault doesn’t even sell cars in some Nissan markets, but company chairman Carlos Ghosn himself has acknowledged that the sponsorship is purely a marketing tool to bolster Infiniti’s performance image. This is especially important in countries like China and Korea where F1 is immensely popular but Infiniti isn’t.
In fairness, Ghosn has promised that Infiniti and Red Bull Racing will become serious technology and engineering partners, and already rumors are hot and heavy about Infiniti co-developing Red Bull’s V-6 F1 engine for next season. But for the time being, it’s primarily a case of QBA. Which brings us to this G sedan spot, entitled Inspiring Confidence. (Let’s pretend for a moment that it’s not a lame duck ad, still airing while selling a vehicle that has been replaced by the 2014 Q50.)
The commercial opens on what many viewers might believe is the Grand Prix of Monte Carlo (it was actually staged on the streets of Valencia, Spain, using F3 cars). After they negotiate a left-hander and hurtle across a bridge, we see that an Infiniti G sedan is in the pack. Safety car? Guess again—it’s a couple that ignored their GPS and got lost. Although a super clearly states that passenger vehicles “can’t drive like race cars” (even though that’s what the commercial wants you to believe), I’d say the guy is doing a pretty good job of keeping up with traffic. To reinforce the QBA, they ask an Infiniti Red Bull driver for directions, but he can’t help them because “he’s not from around here.” (Guess that rules out Spaniard Carlos Sainz, Jr., who recently tested for RBR.) But even though they remain lost, at least they will enjoy the ride safely because their infiniti has luxury that inspires confidence. But you’d expect that from a car company associated with an F1 team, right?
- Photos and Info: 2014 Infiniti Q50
- So, This Happened: F1 Champ Sebastian Vettel Stopped By Our Office
- Instrumented Test: 2013 Infiniti FX37 AWD
All things considered, I like this commercial. I like seeing the enthusiast’s dream of a production sedan out on a track with formula cars, and I like the notion that “luxury” cars should have good performance. But mostly I like that Nissan is not only forthright and unapologetic about using Renault’s F1 chops to sell Infinitis, but is serious about sharing technology to rectify the QBA. Now if only every G sedan—excuse me, Q50—came with private driving instruction from Infiniti’s Ambassador of Performance . . .
Award-winning ad man-cum-auto journalist Don Klein knows a good (or bad) car commercial when he sees one; the Ad Section is his space to tell you what he thinks of the latest spots. The ad’s rating is depicted via the shift pattern at the bottom, but everyone has an opinion when it comes to advertising, so hit Backfires below and tell us what you think, too.
Source: CarAndDriver
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