Five of the best car ads that will be remembered forever

A good car commercial is hard to miss. Splashy, sexy and expensive: when done right, they can leave a lasting impression.

And it’s not just billboards or TV ads anymore. Nowadays, a 60-second clip on social media can cost millions and attract a large audience.

Car companies are still among the largest advertising spenders. In 2024, the UK automotive industry increased digital advertising spend by 22 percent – ​​more than any other sector.

However, blowing the advertising budget does not always guarantee success. Sometimes the simplest campaigns work the best.

Here are our five best car ads, from a gravity-defying ’80s classic to a ’90s clip that couldn’t be shown until after 7:30 PM.

Are they the same as yours? Going a bit far? Or should it be ‘go big or go home’?

Volkswagen’s ‘Changes’ GTI TV ad from 1987

‘If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen’.

We’re not sure what was the best thing about this now legendary ad; that slogan: old-fashioned advertising that ties in with 80s feminism or the Golf GTI itself.

Directed by British photographer David Bailey, the storyline of a woman who leaves a bad relationship and throws away her expensive (and apparently gifted) possessions, but keeps the keys to the GTI, made model Paula Hamilton a household name.

VW’s 1987 TV commercial “Changes,” a masterclass in how effective a relatively simple ad can be when the storyline is left to itself, will live on for decades to come as the bar to be raised.

Land Rover’s parent advert from 1986

A few years after the Defender 110 and then the 90 were launched, Land Rover decided to show what its 4×4 could do.

And so the 1986 ‘dam’ advert was released, featuring a rust-coloured Defender driving over extremely difficult terrain (including rivers) before the driver shot a hook over the top of a colossal dam.

The Defender then winches itself up the steep slope, before driving past the top of the massive structure as the slogan ‘best 4×4 by far’ appears next to the green Land Rover badge.

Back in the good old days of real Defenders, this daring stunt reiterated the idea that ‘nothing – absolutely nothing – can get in the way of a Land Rover.’

Honda ‘Cog’ advertisement

Making something impossibly difficult look easy is a true skill.

Honda’s 2003 “The Cog” ad for the seventh-generation Accord featured a Rube Goldberg machine—a chain reaction device similar to the one in the children’s game Mousetrap—using a chain of colliding parts from a disassembled Accord.

The 120 second sequence was rumored at the time to have lasted over 600 takes, but this was later debunked to just over 100 takes.

A lot of people didn’t believe it was real, but it was.

Honda spent £1 million on the video, which was considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential commercials of the 2000s.

Renault’s 2003 Megane advert (with a curfew)

It’s hard to imagine a car as solid and downright boring as a Renault Mégane ever being associated with outrageous behavior, but surprises can happen.

In 2003, Renault released its advertisement for the Mégane.

The rear of the Mégane was compared to ‘derrieres’ with typical French amorous humor against the soundtrack of Groove Armada’s ‘I See You Baby (Shakin’ That Ass)’.

Apparently this was too much for the decent British audience as the advert was permanently banned from airing before 7.30pm.

According to The Guardian, 139 viewers at the time complained about “wobbly bottoms” and the word “butt” used in the ad.

The independent television commission ruled that the Renault Mégane commercial should be banned from children’s programs.

Moving the ad only drew more attention to it, and the ass-shaking was wildly popular with audiences, as was the soundtrack that Fatboy Slim remixed.

Mercedes’ Body Control chicken ad

It’s a chicken pretending to be a human. Need we say more?

For context we will, but essentially animal humor and plain fun will forever make this one of the best car ads ever.

The chickens’ bodies move around, but their heads remain still thanks to Merc V8 cars’ ‘magic body control’ feature – the feature that uses cameras to scan the road and adjust the suspension for a smooth ride.

Mercedes won Auto Express’ Car Ad of the Year award after receiving 51 percent of the public vote.

Created by the German agency Jung von Matt/Neckar, it doesn’t even have a car on it and yet it’s iconic: we declare them advertising geniuses.