Audi Goes After Competitors in Ads

From the recent spats with BMW and others bold moves, Audi has definitely been picking fights lately. 2008 was a record year for the brand and they want to keep that momentum going into 2009. The latest ones feature the Audi Q5 crossover launched last month. Way to go, Audi!

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These latest two ads take shots at Lexus. Kicking them when their down huh? Now doubt Lexus has been really hurting in this downturn and Audi has decided this is the time to really go after them. The Lexus RX is the segment's top vehicle in volume by far so it's the one with the target on it's back. In these ads, Audi is going after one of it's biggest weak points. I think Lexus has some more problems other then just the slumping economy; it's failing to produce emotional vehicles and therefore is also losing out with the youth demographic.

On the other hand, Audi is doing very well in that area. It has been turning out high-performance models that connect with younger buyers. The entire line is well-designed and has the "cool" factor on it's side. The advertising company has done an extremely good job promoting the brand and has taken advantange of technology. There have been various various Audi driving games produced for the Apple iPhone in addition to the strong presence in more traditional game platforms like the Playstation 3 and XBOX 360.

In any case, Audi isn't letting up. Both figuratively and in actuality. They've ramped up their advertising budget while the others cut back, and are using the  increased advertising spending to aggressively go after competitors.

Looks like it might be paying off too; the Audi Q5 has seen strong sales in it's first month and is already the second-highest selling model, after the A4. There is a reason Mercedes-Benz is feeling the pressure with it's GLK Crossover. The small-luxury crossover segment is high volume and high profit and therefore is a big battlefield for the luxury automakers. So way to go Audi! Good job getting attention and with bringing out the product hits.