MUMBAI :

“Unprecedented times,” without a shadow of a doubt, has to be the word of 2020. And why not, afterall, not many of us have known or seen anything like the Coronavirus crisis that is unfolding before our eyes. Nevertheless, while we all know that we will battle this crisis and come out triumphant, it is also important to understand that this can only be achieved by disciplining ourselves and remaining indoors. Meanwhile, the Auto industry, which has gone out of its way and offered to help the Indian government tide over the Coronavirus crisis in various ways has also gone the extra mile and shown their creative side by trying to drive home the message for people to stay indoors and refrain from driving on roads. Here’s a look at four car manufacturers who came up with creative short audio-visual clips urging people to not drive and make the most of their time at home during the country’s lockdown.  Enjoy.

BMW

The German carmaker, BMW’s 19-second video message captures a beautiful hairpin curve on the road, a scenic location with pine trees and mountains in the backdrop, and all you get to hear is the soft sound of the breeze. On an ordinary day, you’d be really tempted to race your car up this road, but the fact that you neither hear a turbocharged engine sound in this pristine background nor do you see a car negotiating this bend, speaks volumes. We especially loved how the chirping of the birds does all the talking while the message “THE ONLY CURVE THAT MATTERS” appears on your screen followed by the words “IS THE ONE WE NEED TO FLATTEN.” Need we say more?

Mercedes-Benz India

Mercedes-Benz India’s 21-second audio-visual clip begins with a shot of the AMG Petronas Formula One car, the body of which glistens under a big luminous light and then in the darkness… the words… “Some races are won…” appear, followed by pitch darkness as the big luminous light goes off which is followed by a complete blackout and then the words "...at 0 kmph!" appear. This is followed by the words “Mercedes-Benz India urges you to stay at home,” in pristine white which appear followed by a hashtag in blue which hits bullseye with #MercFromHome. Clever play of words, that, and indeed a fine way of urging people to stay and work from home. The audio-visual clip concludes with Mercedes-Benz’s logo flashing and their Formula One team’s name appearing at the end before it fades out into a blackout again. Nothing depicts speed better than a race car does and nothing depicts stillness better than a blackout does but the best part is the manner in which the Mercedes logo glistens at the end, a ray of light that sparkles after the darkness. Nuff said.

Volvo

There is something very Scandinavian about Volvo’s 21-second clip which sets the tone of what is going to be its message right from the start. Their audio-visual clip begins by giving us a glimpse of a car that has arrived at its destination as the grand gates begin to shut to the accompaniment of what seems to be classical music. This is followed by the car’s engine being turned off as the lights of the instrument cluster switch off on the inside of the car with an electronic sound that seems to emanate from the instrument cluster and is akin to the sound one often hears when electronics are switched off. The camera then moves outside and captures the headlamps being turned off. This is followed by the words “Everything else can wait. Your safety is our number one priority” which appear on the screen in white, against a black background, followed by the words, “Stay Home. Stay Safe.” Volvo being Volvo, renowned for it's reputation for safety, the words, “Stay home,” takes on a special significance in the audio visual clip because the words are emphasized by presenting them in 'Bold' this time around, to drive home the point of staying safe during the time of the Coronavirus pandemic. The audio-visual clip concludes with the car manufacturer’s name ‘Volvo’ appearing on the screen. 

Toyota Kirloskar Motors

Toyota Kirloskar Motors 42-second audio-visual clip has all their models on full display. While some are shown on the road, some are stationary, and the hashtag #ToyotaWithIndia sits at the left-hand bottom corner of the screen throughout the clip. Considering Toyota has always been about reliablilty and safety, this audio-visual clip is their way of connecting not just with their customers but also with the community at large, to assure them that they are with them, and also to let them know that safety never takes a backseat, even during difficult times. From a little girl playing with her cars, followed by a mother and daughter duo, who are playing with a red toy car, to a father and son having fun with what appears to be the boy’s toy car, Toyota’s audio-visual clip differentiates itself from the other car manufacturers mentioned above by bringing in a certain warmth through people while talking about the trust that people have shown in their brand. This warmth is taken forward further by showing a full house with happy family members who are all smiles as they get tpo spend quality time with each other inside their home, even if things aren't looking up on the outside. The scene then cuts to a lone flower blowing in the wind followed by a long shot of flower field where millions of flowers are shown blooming as the sun rises over the field. This is followed by the words “THIS TOO SHALL PASS, WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER” which have come from Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corporation. The audio-visual clip ends with Toyota’s logo and tag line, “Quality Revolution” appearing in white and red.