{"id":9852,"date":"2010-11-18T04:45:05","date_gmt":"2010-11-18T04:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/?p=9852"},"modified":"2010-11-18T04:45:05","modified_gmt":"2010-11-18T04:45:05","slug":"robert-downey-jr-volvo-ad-stephen-frears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/2010\/11\/18\/robert-downey-jr-volvo-ad-stephen-frears\/","title":{"rendered":"Robert Downey Jr’s Volvo Ad"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Back in 2004 Robert Downey Jr<\/a><\/strong> appeared in a long form Volvo<\/a> commercial directed by Stephen Frears<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 12-minute spot was part of a trend in the mid-2000s when companies were experimenting with commercials specifically for the web.<\/p>\n

‘The Route’ is an extended spot for Volvo’s line of V50 station wagons<\/a> and feels like a strange piece of noir with Downey Jr playing two versions of himself.<\/p>\n

Weirdly, it plays like a cross between Moon<\/a> (2009) and his latest film Due Date<\/a> (2010).<\/p>\n

Here it is, in two parts:<\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n

It is worth remembering that this was before Downey’s major career resurgence<\/a> after Iron Man<\/a> (2008) and also Frears’ own rejuvenation with The Queen<\/a> (2006).<\/p>\n

If they filmed this today, I’m guessing it would have cost a lot more to produce.<\/p>\n

However, it makes you think about the long tail<\/a> appeal for adverts done for the web.<\/p>\n

It used to be the case that adverts went on TV and were rarely seen again, but now everything seems to end up on YouTube, which didn’t even exist<\/a> when this ad was shot.<\/p>\n

A lot of new viewers will see this for the first time and Volvo will get the same impact on the money they spent six years ago.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, Volvo can see exactly how many views it has racked up, along with analytical data of who and where people are watching.<\/p>\n

> IFC article on the ad<\/a>
\n> Robert Downey Jr<\/a> at Wikipedia<\/p>\n

[Via IFC]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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