Audi to Change Diesel Misconceptions with Commercial

"Lady! That's diesel!"

Diesels are loud, clattery, smokey, noisy, rough-idling and dirty. Or are they?

Indeed, the diesel cars of the '80s have projected a less-than-popular and mostly incorrect view of the clean diesels offered today. Changing this perception of diesel autos is going to be very important for companies like Audi, Mazda, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Chevy (and even Ram with their 1500 diesel) who have implemented or are beginning to implement diesel passenger cars and SUVs into their lineups. These diesel cars are technologically-advanced, have remarkably clean emissions, get great fuel economy, and excel in torque.

But are Americans ready for clean diesel cars? Moreover, are they ready for luxury diesel cars?

Please understand that these questions don’t particularly pertain to you Diesel Power enthusiasts, as your diesel truck likely has a diesel car as a garage mate. That is, if your truck could actually fit in your garage. Anyway, it’s likely that your family car, or the wife’s car, is a modern clean diesel and you love it. In fact, you’d probably even admit that it’s much more convenient to drive your compact diesel sedan than your diesel truck. You’re already “sold” on diesel.

Sales and marketing teams have some hard work ahead. Beyond undoing the negative connotation of past diesels, they have to persuade “us” to actually buy a new clean diesel car. It’s likely that the market that can most afford one of these luxury diesels is the same group who most remembers the '80’s diesel most vividly.

A recent billboard spotted on the way to work touted the mileage of a diesel sedan, but never specifically clarified that the badge shown was a diesel option.

Audi, who is expanding its 2014 clean diesel lineup with the addition of the A6, A7 and Q5 TDI, introduced a commercial today titled “The Station,” where onlookers (including a dog, police, cashier, kids, a male delivery guy and others) watch in disbelief and desperately try to warn a businesswoman that she is about to fill up using the diesel pump. Finally one of the guys reaches her and frantically yells, “Hey lady, that’s diesel!” to which she calmly replies, “I know,” prompting him to gulp in disbelief. Text then says, “The future is Audi TDI clean diesel. Join the club. This is Truth in Engineering." This was actually a pretty clever commercial because it blatantly promotes the “luxurious cleanliness” of diesel with the underlying humor shared by anyone who has (or has known of someone who has) filled up with diesel instead of gasoline or vice versa.

And when it’s your giggly college roommate who puts diesel in her PT Cruiser, it’s pretty funny.

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