Audi ‘Green Police’ Superbowl Commercial Debuts Early

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by Michael dEstries February 6, 2010
Categories: Film/TV.

green_police

Audi has jumped the gun early on their ‘eco-themed’ Super Bowl commercial by releasing it onto the web a full 24 hours before the big game. As we dropped earlier, the advertising campaign features an enforcement agency called the “Green Police”; who, naturally, patrol the streets looking for environmental crimes like drinking bottled water and/or failure to compost.

The point of the commercial is to advertise Audi’s A3 TDI (Green Car Journal’s “Green Car of the Year” winner) which runs on clean diesel and achieves 42 mpg on the highway.

Have a look below and let us know what you think.


Categories: Film/TV.
Photo: And they're bringing anteaters.

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

View all posts by Michael dEstries →
  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=566480478 erin

    Highlarious and perfect EXCEPT two things

    A) what is that animal in the photo (also in the commercial) that appears to move so it’s real… not cool to use animals in commercials IMHO

    B) diesel ain’t clean.. i’ll stick to my hybrid and next year all electric car

    E

    • RC GreenGo

      Modern diesels are clean.

  • ddpalmer

    I think it is some species of anteater, but it may be CGI animation. And why they would use an anteater is beyond me.

    Some modern diesels have scrubber/catalytic converter systems that get their emissions per gallon lower than a gasoline engine and I believe diesels tend to get more mpg. I don’t know if this is the case for Audi but Scientific American had an article about the new generation of diesels about a year ago and Mecerdes had a really impressive prototype. Also I think diesel takes less energy to refine.

  • ddpalmer

    I should have search first. Here are some articles that addresses some of the issues between gasoline and diesel engines. The VW Golf TDI Hybrid using diesel gets almost 70 mpg, but isn’t available in the US yet.

    http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=435228

    http://ezinearticles.com/?Diesel-vs-Regular-Gasoline—Which-is-Better-for-the-Environment?&id=946207

    “It turns out that gasoline is more volatile than diesel, not because of what its base consists of, but because of the additives it contains. In addition, vehicles that use diesel tend to be more fuel-efficient and produce less greenhouse gases. In that respect, diesel is more environmentally friendly. Diesel actually produces 15% more in greenhouse gases than gasoline when compared by the litre rather than the gallon. Yet it is through the 20-40% improvement in fuel economy over gasoline that offsets the higher emissions per litre. In actuality, the carbon dioxide emissions are considerably less than gasoline, but diesel does contain 2,778 grams of carbon per gallon, whereas gasoline contains 2,421 grams per gallon. But, again, it is the fuel economy of diesel that accounts for the smaller rate of carbon emissions.”

  • http://groundsearow.blogspot.com/ GSR

    Spot on for SuperBowl crew… a bit of self depracation is always good for a green message. Good to see such a prime time slot going for eco advertising. Also good to know that US consumers are being challenged a little more than a couple of years ago… http://bit.ly/9h1HLz

  • http://reusablebags.com VincentCobb

    What stooges.
    There is nothing environmental in a diesel non-hybrid or electric car marketed to the wealth. All they are doing is masking their faults with a nice big dose of greenwashing.

    • RC GreenGo

      It still beats the crap out of what the average american drives as far as green goes.American consumers could have green crap whenever they want.One of the reason the car industry has collapsed is because of their unwillingness to work together to achieve better outcomes.
      This car may targeting the rich,the message is not.
      Convert your neighbours,to greener things.

      You DO realise the outside world perceives the US as taking minuscule action to address their super=sized lifestyles?
      This ad knows that.

      • RC GreenGo

        EDIT “could have green crap” should read “green” cars

      • NM dude

        This commercial will backfire on you eco-freaks. The average American will look at this and see the irony of what could happen if the green movement ever seized power

  • Edward

    In the world of business and slave-mastery, “green” = money. All corporations, businesses, and governments agree.

    None of these groups care about environmentalism, they only care about spreading “green” propaganda in hopes that the masses buy into it because they know how profitable it is. Unfortunately, most people buy into this garbage.

    Guess what there is nothing green about burning diesel, or the materials required to produce 100,000+ of those cars. There is certainly nothing Green or compassionate about leather seats and a leather steering wheel. How many millions of cows were abused, maimed, and slaughtered to make this new line of “green cars.”

    This is BS, and I really hope people don’t fall for it. There are plenty of cars out there already. Want to be green? Drive less and learn how to maintain your car properly. Or walk, or take the bus….but the car corporations don’t want you to know that little secret. They want to sell, sell, sell, and they’re hijacking and bastardizing our cause to do so. Shame on them!

    • http://vegan--japan.blogspot.com/ herwin

      + 1. Cars never are green despite the greenwashing. biofuels or electric cars ? an environmental nightmare, think about producing all these new fuel crops competing for land and food crops, think about all the new powerplants that have to be build if everybody goes electric car. Will it be windenergy, or more likely fossile fuels (coal) and nuclear energy converted to “clean” electricity for your car ?

  • http://electricrccars.net/ herwin

    + 1. Cars never are green despite the greenwashing. biofuels or electric cars ? an environmental nightmare, think about producing all these new fuel crops competing for land and food crops, think about all the new powerplants that have to be build if everybody goes electric car. Will it be windenergy, or more likely fossile fuels (coal) and nuclear energy converted to “clean” electricity for your car ?
    Should mention solid post! Looking forward to seeing the next post!

  • Christian

    The Gestapo were referred to as the green police during and before ww2. They were nazi secret police that were incharge of internal security, together with the SS they caught and imprisoned the Jews and other unwanted people.
    SO is AUDI’s new slogen “Green will set you free?” above their death camps?

    • don miguelo

      Audi ran their “Green Police” ads for review, according to ecorazzi on 2/2/2010:
      “Running their series of ads by two major Jewish figures — Fred Zeidman, Chairman of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial and Museum as well as Abraham Foxman, head of the Anti Defamation League – Audi was assured that no one in the Jewish community would be offended, a fact which solidified the extensive research they had previously conducted on the concept and story idea. ”

      I thought they were funny ads, “Batteries in the trach- Take the house!” –Love it.

      And in no way am I condoning Nazi’s here, I listen to Dead Kennedys for pete’s sake!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1373690715 grady henley

    once again…your Audi commerical on ‘green’ is a sicko commerical. I will never buy an Audi and will do my best to warn people that would even think of buying how sick of an organization the Audi car company is.

  • Rob

    This commercial is idiotic. Rewind the Eco-Clock 25 years and the question paper or plastic, one was totally vilified (and usually lectured by the cashier) if you chose PAPER because according to the environmentalists of 1985, PLASTIC was going to save millions of trees each year and keep us from wasting so much paper, keep trees alive and our air clean… yeah, that worked real well…

    Bunch of kooks in the environmental movement. Mark my words – when it’s “confirmed” that the volume of compact fluorescent bulbs has now overwhelmed recyclers and they’re overrun with too much mercury to safely dispose of or recycle, the incandescent bulb will be our lighting “savior” and “although they cost more to use, they’re less dangerous to our environment.”

    As soon as one or two components of the so-called “clean diesel” are deemed hazardous to our health, these will be vilified next. So goes the logic and decisions of the eco-movement in the united states.

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  • http://www.greenwaycommunique.com Nathan Schock

    I thought it was interesting that the ad presented no secondary benefits at all from the car: higher MPG, lower cost, higher performance, etc. It was simply that it allowed the clean diesel driver to slip by the eco-police. Most green marketers present green as a secondary benefit, but Audi went exclusively with green. Although I admire their commitment and thought it was a well-produced spot, I’m not sure there are many people who will buy a car just to be green.

  • irishguy

    To see “green police” would be a sad day indeed. I was hoping with the exposure of “man made global warming” as a fraud, the enviros might tone it down a bit

  • Miguelito

    Cap and Trade legislation is well on track at the State level; Austin, TX, is the first city to begin enacting this type of legislation without a Federal mandate. Cap and Trade does not need to pass in the Federal govt for this to happen.

    Check the UN Agenda 21 guideliness and you’ll find lots of material devoted to establishing eco-communism at the local level. This is, in fact, the game plan — sell the eco movement to community leaders and developers, and they will enforce it on their communities. Communism will occur from the local level upward, and not the other way around.

    The eco movement has been hijacked for the sole purpose of getting rid of our Republic and replacing it with socialism/communism run by the financial oligarchy. Do not let your eco guilt be hijacked by the central bankers who create much of the world’s suffering. Do not be a stupid sheep.

    Be an ecu junkie but stay away from the highly organized and banker-funded sustainable development movement unfolding in your community. Educate the followers in your community who have been duped.

  • Susan

    I thought it was stupid to make fun of consumers who care about these issues, when that’s who they’re trying to sell to.

  • Joe K

    Awesome commercial!! Hilarious beyond belief!!
    We have a Prius and Solar PV, but don’t compost…

  • http://www.prisonplanet.com Joseph

    The day some Greenie gets in my face about a plastic bag is the day I wrap a plastic bag around a greenies face and reduce his carbon footprint too zero.
    The fact that the owners of companies that do 90% of the real polluting are the ones that push the green movement and taxes down idiots throats should tell you something. Its a scam to get you morons to give the BANKERS more money,
    How about a commercial where the last three presidents and all of the US generals get arrested for dropping Depleted Uranium on millions of innocent people all around the world? How is that for a green police commercial?

  • Nasua

    Just to clear up the mystery, that was a real, live Tamandua, a species of anteater.

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  • roy

    Eco-fascism! This would be a sad sad day indeed! Sorry to say this commercial is not even fiction. This is merely incrementalism to such a society. Shut this nonsense down people, investigate for yourselves please! Every control freak will jump on this insanity and it will be terrible. THis whole movement is nothing more than control and tax, thats it! Oh my God, this is the end!

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