Everyone is thinking big in this commercial for the Smart Car; everyone, that is, until some guy sees someone driving a smart car out of a parking lot, and he says: “Small!” But then a big SUV comes speeding down the street and plows into the smart car, killing the occupants instantly, and the guys says: “Um, never mind; I meant: Big.” Or at least, that’s what comes to mind when I see this spot. I live in Hollywood, where everyone drives around like a maniac in a big SUV, and everyone seems to drive drunk all the time too, so the “Smart” Car doesn’t seem very smart to me. Maybe if everyone else drove one too; but otherwise, I hope you’ve got good health insurance! (And good luck!) SMASH!
And by the way, this TV ad does everything but come out and say: “Think small.” It might as well be a TV spot for the original Doyle Dane Bernbach “Think small” VW ad. But then again, I guess it’s nearly impossible to advertise a small car nowadays without tipping the hat to that famous campaign.
Here’s the big spot:
