The Hollywood Reporter recently took a look at Audi’s push to take over Hollywood, and spoke with The Agency’s CEO and co-founder Mauricio Umansky, an Audi owner, about the German automaker’s appeal. Summing it up in one sentence, Mauricio commented: “I wanted something that wasn’t gaudy but comfortable and elegant.”
The article examines Audi’s efforts to win over Hollywood since 2006 by putting the vehicles in the hands of some of the world’s most influential people and on the big screen.
Four years ago, Audi took it a step further via their “influencer program.” As the article states, “Audi put in place an armada of 90 white Q7 TDI diesel SUVs to roam the streets of Los Angeles and New York and hosted a series of dinners and events in L.A., NYC and Aspen, where the chauffeur-driven vehicles ferried [Joel] McHale, Zoe Saldana, Orlando Bloom,” and more.
Audi’s efforts also include a celebrity loan program to allow Hollywood’s A-listers to try out their cars. The company also worked hard to get their vehicles in movies, including blockbuster Iron Man 3.
As Umansky and other members of the Hollywood elite became fond of the Audi, it became clear that their campaign worked. “Criminal Minds” actor Shermar More tells The Hollywood Reporter, “When Iron Man came out and I saw the R8, I lost my mind. I said if and when CBS gives me a raise, I’m going to get one.”
For a full report of Audi’s campaign, read The Hollywood Reporter article here.
Photo Above: Mauricio Umansky at Angeleno Magazine’s Arts and Power Issue and Audi’s Design Innovation.
