Poetry In Motion

Recently, fuel prices in the U.S. have been of paramount concern in the media. So much in fact, over 100,000 Facebook users agreed to not purchase fuel today as a boycott to these inflated prices. This post is not in response to this activism, but to a fantastic advertisement sourced from the LeMay Car Museum's Facebook page.



The commercial appeals to visual perception and auditory senses with the combination of orchestral engine noises, wickedly exciting high-speed cornering, and the classic Rosso Corsa 'Ferrari' red color streaking past magnificent monuments. Considered one of the most expensive commercials ever, the footage was shot on-site in Rome, Monaco, Sydney, New York, and Hong Kong. In addition, Ferrari has assembled a broad historical collection of some of their most coveted vehicles. In order of appearance, the 500 F2, 312, 312B, F310B, F2002, and F2007 exemplify Ferrari's venerable racing heritage originating in 1947. By combining their brand equities, Ferrari and Shell targeted customers by depicting the enriching capabilities of using Shell fuel and providing a correlation to street vehicles.

As a point of information, Ferrari and Shell did not maintain a continued relationship during the sixty years they've worked together. An Italian oil company, Agip, provided fuel sponsorship for Ferrari during a number of seasons instead of Shell.

What do you consider to be the most appealing aspect of this commercial?

As a viewer, does this advertisement encourage you to buy fuel from Shell service stations?