• by Karl Greenberg , January 13, 2012

Audi is launching its first big campaign in years for its quattro all-wheel-drive system. The advertising and marketing campaign, with the tagline "the legendary Audi quattro," comprises a 60-second TV spot that will kick off during the National Football League division playoffs on Jan. 14. The ad will also air nationally as a 30-second spot. Audi will also have a presence during the Super Bowl, with creative TBD. 

The new spot, "Ahab," posits an Audi as the famous Melvillean white whale, with Ahab as a guy in a tow truck at battle with the snow and a quattro-equipped Audi.

In addition to the "Ahab" broadcast spots, the campaign comprises display and mobile banners on weather and ski sites, online video placements and banners in enthusiast communities, plus new content on Audi's "30+ Years of quattro" Facebook app and a new quattro playlist on YouTube.

Scott Keogh, Audi of America's CMO, tells Marketing Daily that Audi has not had a comprehensive quattro-dedicated campaign for several years now. "While we celebrated 30 years of quattro in 2010, that was a social media only initiative. We consistently refer to Audi quattro in most communications as it is a unique offering across every model we offer," he says. "This campaign is very different as it is inspired by an epic tale (as opposed to just car/feature advertising)."

While all-wheel-drive vehicles tend to dominate mountain and snow states, Keogh says the campaign is national because quattro is something of a halo technology for the automaker. "It’s the perfect platform to showcase Audi’s creativity and voice, and allows us to bring to life the Audi quattro experience in front of a large audience," says Keogh. "Quattro is the top-selling luxury all-wheel drive system in the world." Eighty-eight percent of Audi's cars sold last year in the States had quattro, per Keogh.

The “30+ Years of quattro” Facebook app was launched in December 2010 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the technology, per Keogh. It showcases stories, photos and videos from Audi owners. "As part of this campaign, we also have a new quattro playlist on YouTube, where you can view a variety of quattro videos, like the 'Ahab' spot and previous year’s commercials."