2014: Matthew McConaughey drives and waxes philosophic for Lincoln
To celebrate the Ad Club of New York's 120th anniversary, The Drum is inviting readers to share their favorite marketing moments from the past 120 years.
Today's marketing moment was chosen by Heather Taylor, a freelance writer for Advertising Week, HelloGiggles and Ed2010. Below, see why Taylor, who tweets @howveryheather, chose actor Matthew McConaughey's appearance in a recent Lincoln campaign as her favorite marketing moment.
“Sometimes you’ve got to go back, to actually move forward.”
2014 was the year of the McConaissance, where actor Matthew McConaughey would be nominated for, and win, an Oscar Award for Best Actor. Beyond the silver screen, McConaughey would also team up with Lincoln Motor Company for a multiyear campaign to promote several Lincoln cars including the MKZ and MKC.
In the commercial spots that followed, most notably in “Intro,” McConaughey is alone on a stretch of freeway then eventually winds his way down various side city streets. He reflects on how going back isn’t necessarily to play a game of remember when, but to see where the viewer came from. Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn (Drive), the ad is reflective of the past, present, and future while still quietly tying in with the end goal of the campaign: to emphasize the joy of driving.
While many including Saturday Night Live were quick to parody the ads and criticize its cheesy, rambling script, Lincoln had the last laugh with a 25 percent rise in sales after the launch of the campaign.
As for myself, I loved this commercial. Few actors have the ability to take a script like that and make it as introspective as McConaughey did while still helping to sell the vehicle and pay respect to the brand’s legacy.
Remember, for a brand to move forward sometimes it has to go back. Everyone can go back.
“You just have to look in the right place.”
See the full 120 Marketing Moments in the dedicated online section and find out how to purchase the exclusive book.