Audi 2010 Annual Report Download - page 89

I
n the TV commercial, no one
eluded the environment police:
not the supermarket customer
who asked for a plastic bag;
not the suburbanite who threw com-
post in the household trash; and
certainly not the young people with
their non-returnable bottles. They
were all caught red-handed by the
Green Police. Only one person was not
detained: the driver of an Audi A3
TDI clean diesel. Thanks to its good
climate balance, it was the only vehicle
waved through an eco-checkpoint set
up by the green sheriff s.
This one-minute Audi commercial
was broadcast in 2010 during what is
probably the most important American
football game in the world. More than
100 million Americans watched the
championship game. The commercial
was mentioned 1.5 billion times in
the media. An unbelievable marketing
success for Audi, but no surprise.
The Ingolstadt-based carmaker has
stepped up its brand advertising in the
United States in the last two years,
particularly for its fuel-effi cient
TDI diesel models. The result was
a sales record: 2010 marked the fi rst
time that Audi delivered more than
100,000 vehicles there.
These successes have a lot to do with
the U.S. Americans’ new eco-awareness.
It has since gripped the entire nation,
and Audi is feeding into this in a major
way with its fuel-effi cient turbodiesel
engines. The high point came in Decem-
ber 2009 when the A3 TDI clean diesel
was honored as the 2010 Green Car of
the Year. This prize is awarded each year
to the car with the best eco-balance that
still off ers a high level of ride comfort.
The jury traditionally comprises the
chairpersons of a number of American
environmental organizations and
show business stars such as television
host Jay Leno. The fi nal decision came
down to the A3 TDI clean diesel and
four competitors, three of which were
hybrid models. Although Audi was a
fi rst-time nominee, the jury quickly
arrived at its decision. “The Audi A3
TDI clean diesel defi nes what the jury
considers an environmental car to be,”
87
Green wave
Audi in the USA
The Audi brand’s U.S. business is growing more strongly than ever before.
The Ingolstadt carmaker is benefi ting from a new environmental awareness,
and also from spectacular TV commercials.
At the award ceremony: Johan de Nysschen
(right), President of Audi of America, and
Ron Cogan, founder of the Green Car Award.
Mobilität
Scenes from the Audi commercial advertizing the effi cient TDI engine
in 2010 during what is probably the most important sports event in the USA.