For several years now, Subaru has been promoting a very ethereal yet highly motivating RTB: love. They’re hardly the first car company to try this. Mercedes plowed a big ol’ pile of dough into their “The Love Never Fades” campaign in the mid-2000s, and Volvo explored the concept way back in the ’80s with their ubiquitous “I Love My Volvo” bumper stickers. Subaru, on the other hand, is trying to own love in its entirety by building its campaign around the line, “Love. It’s What Makes a Subaru a Subaru.”
“Cut the Cord” is the latest example. In it, a father anxiously and tenderly sends his young daughter off on her first day of school. He reassures her with messages of encouragement and love, but after she bravely climbs aboard the bus he gets into his Legacy and drives alongside it, stopping only when he sees that she’s laughing and obviously happy. His voiceover copy says, “I’m overly protective. That’s why I bought a Subaru.” Then another voice gives the love line and we cut to a super with the Subaru logo and the words Confidence in Motion. The accompanying music adds a relevant touch of melancholy.
Maybe its because i'm the target audience, but i think this is a great spot. It's a moment any parent knows, and it speaks to those of us who choose the vehicles we drive with our kids care in mind. Plus the casting is fantastic, the pictures are superbly shot, and the editing is really great.
Jim Cuene 