Video of the week.

495/1,352: Volkswagen "Big Day"

I thought it was time to talk about a commercial, and we’ve got a great one. This is Volkswagen’s 2001 Super Bowl ad, “Big Day.” Do you remember this one? Or do remember when Super Bowl spots weren’t just about using celebrities for no reason? Will we ever get back to that kind of creativity?!

I’m no commercial expert, but I’d say it was rare at the time to air a :60 spot with no dialogue, voiceover, or offer. The story didn’t need any explanation.

Directed by Dante Ariola, this spot delivers an impactful story with a huge twist in just 60 seconds! It cuts between a bride about to get married and a man in a suit (implied to be the groom) racing to get there in his Volkswagen Jetta. The tension is high because, A: it's a wedding, and B: he’s clearly late. Watches are checked, there are long stares out the window, and he's constantly getting delayed by trailers and trains. It’s not the time!

No matter what situation or terrain he faces, he manages to get there just in time in his Jetta—only to gasp! stop the wedding!? Turns out, he wasn’t the groom! He was just chasing after the bride before it’s too late. There’s even a little nod to The Graduate here. Always appreciated.

Cut to the car parked outside the church, and the tagline appears: Fasten your seatbelts. The Jetta VR6. Does she run off with him onto a bus? We’ll never know.

A little fun fact: the main actor is Kevin Rahm, who is most famously known for playing the advertising creative director Ted Chaough on Mad Men. Full circle, right?