Santa has a new sleigh: the RS e-tron. Image credit: Audi
German automaker Audi is gifting all the Santas of the world a new sleigh with its new Christmas campaign.
Audi’s Christmas 2021 campaign stars a dapper and modern Santa Claus who is ready to upgrade his famous sleigh. What follows is a whimsical and humorous holiday tale of Mr. Claus using his Audi RS e-tron GT to bring children across the world their sought-after presents.
“This new Santa is trimmer and a snappier dresser with a modern home, so he should be driving something more sophisticated and beautiful than a sleigh,” aid Tyson Jominy, vice president for data and analytics at J.D. Power, Nashville. “Enter the e-tron GT, one of the most beautiful and exciting vehicles on sale today.”
A very merry e-tron
The vignette opens in a cinematic fashion with a holiday feel, as a gentleman in a red tie stands near his fireplace, looking pensively out the window as an exciting soundtrack permeates. It then becomes apparent that this gentleman is none other than 2021 Santa Claus.
“It’s time,” a man entering the room informs the main character.
This holiday season, Audi is providing not your average sleigh
The two men walk into an elevator and wait patiently as an instrumental “Jingle Bells” plays in the background. Suddenly, a new soundtrack reaches a crescendo as a beautiful cherry-red vehicle is revealed.
“Your new sleigh,” the man murmurs.
The new sleigh is the new e-tron GT, and it is the Christmas sleigh of the future.
Mr. Claus points out that the vehicle has no runners, to which his counterpart slyly replies, “welcome to the future.”
He gets into the car, and his trunk full of presents is then checked and secured. Mr. Claus then drives into the night excitedly, past a few reindeer whose services are no longer needed.
In a comical and fantastical approach, Audi is proving that the new vehicle means the future is now.
“With imagery and direct statements to the effect that we are presumably seeing Santa Claus getting a new sleigh and driving past reindeer that have been made redundant by his new ride,” Mr. Jominy said.
The vignette ends with a text overlay that reads “Season’s greetings from Audi.”
Audi has taken a funny and futuristic approach to the holidays while showcasing the stunning exterior of its fully electric RS e-tron GT. With its holiday wishes, Audi is bringing both the holidays and consumers into the sleek fun of the future.
Emphasis on an electric future
Audi has released several forward-thinking campaigns this year with a focus on the exciting future revolving around electric offerings.
Since the debut of the all-electric e-tron in 2019, the automaker has increasingly aligned itself with sustainability. In two vignettes, Audi highlighted its efforts to promote electric mobility (see story).
Sustainability is a clear priority for the automaker, as Audi announced that beginning in 2026, it will only release purely electric vehicles.
The manufacturer plans to completely phase out internal combustion engines by 2033, as it attempts to become a leader of net-zero carbon mobility. In addition to using new internal systems, Audi is dedicated to optimizing every aspect of its supply chain to expand the use of renewable energy (see story).
Audi’s latest holiday campaign is a testament to both its electric efforts of the future and its brand ethos of sleek and stylish.
“[This campaign] very much reflects Audi’s ethos as a brand that is a fresh and sophisticated alternative to other luxury cars,” Mr. Jominy said. “Audi’s cars are stylish and its consumers are smartly dressed with modern, tech savvy houses.”