Audi A4L: Lines

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Released:	January 2009
Advertiser:	AUDI
Brand name:	Audi A4L
Agency:	Lintas China
Country:	China
Category:	Cars

Credits:

"Lines," the latest spot from director Jorn Threlfall of Outsider, showcases the new Audi A4L using a striking combination of live action, line animation, and the Shanghai cityscape. "What attracted me to this project was the idea of making an abstract film," Threlfall explains. "Watching the spot, you don't even know it's a car at first. I saw in 'Lines' the opportunity to create something quite beautiful and novel. The opening visuals are about setting a scene and creating an ambiance."

Threlfall was also intrigued by the task of integrating the more eclectic visuals with stylized footage of the car. "The board was quite comprehensive but more about imagery than narrative," says Threlfall, who worked very closely with Lintas China and the client throughout. "The client wanted to forge something new and original for Audi," he recalls. "They were willing to experiment visually but also wanted to convey humanity, and for that we conceived the opening shot of a line becoming a woman's eye. it's a small moment but it connects. Touches like that were critical to the success of the spot."

Shooting on location in China was a new experience for Threlfall, one that proved as rewarding as it was challenging. "The infrastructure for production is quite different," he notes. "It's very difficult to lock off roads, or to stop traffic - you'll never get a shot of an empty block in downtown Shanghai. We had to find those little corners or roads under construction that we could exploit. Also, they turn all the lights off inside office buildings at 10 pm, which makes it hard to do a night shot of the city - your backdrop disappears into darkness! This was the first time I've worked with a white car, you don't often see them in spots, but white is extremely popular and the new aspirational car for the up and coming Chinese car buyer. I enjoy tackling these issues and finding solutions. It's hard work, both winning and executing a job like this, but we were treated very well, and it was a very enriching experience. I loved the crew, and look forward to going back there and shooting again."


Client: Audi

Spot Title: "Lines"

Air Date: January 12, 2009

Agency: Lintas China
Executive Creative Director: Danny Zheng
Group CD: Andy Wu
CD: Simon Pang
Head of TV: Jane Cao

Production Company/China: Tewntyone Plus
Producer: Sally Fu
Production Company: Outsider
Director: Jorn Threlfall
Producer Benji Howell
DOP: Ekkehart Pollack
Editorial: The Whitehouse
Editor: Ben Stephens
Post: Concrete