Million Miles, by J.Ralph (then going by the name SPY), just cycled through on iTunes, and brought to mind my second favorite VW commercial ever, called "Big Day," in which the song is prominently featured. The commercial is a gem. It tells a spellbinding story, unspooling perfectly, with an unexpected twist and an uncertain ending. The breath she takes right before it ends could mean so many things. I have a copy of the video on my computer somewhere, but you can watch it on YouTube.
(Get your own crappy Quicktime version from Volksfolks, or read a discussion of the commercial, mostly full of "This is Awesome!" but still interesting, at Tevis.)
I once had a crush on someone that went ahead and married someone else (how could they?). I had fantasies of breaking off their marriage ceremony. This ad would have really embolden me to do something crazy. It was just a crush. Though I still managed to embarrass myself. I was 17.
It's pretty clear to me that the frazzled gentleman is there at the church for the groom, not the bride. Those naughty Germans....
You don't see movies like the Graduate where women are contesting a marriage ceremony either. Does it happen? Having a nice car has to be the way to go when you're picking up some stray bride or groom. I can't see pulling up in a 1973 Plymouth Duster? You have to have the right wheels to make your get away. Wasn't it a bus in the Graduate?
Is nobody going to ask me what my first favorite VW commercial is?
ok, what is your favorite VW commercial?
I already know, which is why I didn't ask.
We chatted offline, and while Mark was close with the world-timed-to-the-windshield-wipers ad, my first favorite is actually the convertible-is-better-than-the-party one set to Nick Drake's "Pink Moon."