Most people with a car to sell would just pop it up on Craigslist and be done with it. But filmmaker Max Lanman had a better idea for his fiancee's 1996 Honda Accord named "Greenie": produce a cinematic, emotionally uplifting commercial that makes the old two-door coupe sound like the doorway to a dream life.
Lanman unleashed the epic ad on Thursday, and it hits all the right notes. There's a plaintive piano intro. A deep-voiced narrator kicks off with, "You. You're different. You do things your way. That's what makes you one of a kind."
The ad highlights the car's cassette deck and a rubber duckie collection sitting by the back window. Sweeping drone footage shows the vehicle in action on a scenic winding road. Greenie has 141,095 miles on it. The leather seats are in good condition and the car has a new battery to sweeten the deal. The cat is not included.
The ad is a brilliant parody of modern car commercials that appeal to a buyer's desire to stand out from the crowd. It ends with the tagline "Luxury is a state of mind."
As it turns out, luxury might also be a reality for Lanman's fiancee. While she hopes to sell Greenie for $499 (£380, AU$650), the car has attracted a bidding war on eBay that has already topped $20,000 (£15,000, AU$26,000). The final bid may not hold up to scrutiny, but it's pretty funny to imagine someone paying the price of a new car for a 1996 beater.
It's too bad the Oscars don't have a category for "Ad Parody Short Film," but maybe Lanman's masterpiece could sneak into the Clio Awards somehow.
Discuss: This commercial for a used 1996 Honda deserves an Oscar
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