Although most automakers are bailing out of traditional media outlets due to the slumping U.S. market and overall decline in viewership numbers, Audi is keeping the ship on course and isn’t planning to cut its ad budget for 2009. In fact, the German automaker will even be filling in some of the voids left by other car makers.
According to Audi Chief Marketing Officer Scott Keogh, the brand will be spending its advertising bucks on wide reaching TV ads, as well as some corporate sponsorship deals – such as this year’s Academy Awards. “We’re going for a broader reach for our media to get Audi out of the best-kept-secret box,” Keogh told AdAge. General Motors decided to pull out as a sponsor for the Academy Awards earlier this year.
Audi already ran spots on this year’s Olympics as well last year’s Super Bowl – the first time Audi has advertised during the big game in 20 years. Keogh says to expect more from the same from Audi moving forward, with spots slated to run during Sunday Night Football and the season premiere of “The Office”.
The increased focus on mass advertising is twofold for Audi: The German automaker hopes that it will help people see the brand as luxury instead of near-luxury and it should also give Audi a boost on the way to its goal of selling 1.5 million vehicles annually by 2015.
