GENERAL MOTORS | MAGIC RIDE | 1961
Selling an Invisible Car / GENERAL MOTORS "MAGIC RIDE"
1961. An ad where you can't actually see the car — and it won a Clio.
The problem
In the early 1960s, GM was a giant holding half the entire US market, with an advertising budget to match. The Chevrolet ads handled by Campbell-Ewald were among the biggest in the industry. That an experiment like this could happen in that era is remarkable in itself.
The idea
A couple rides through a French town in a transparent car. In an age with no green screen, no CGI, the "Magic Ride" is shown using practical effects alone. The car itself is barely visible on screen. It's a bold attempt to convey the "magic" of the ride purely through imagery.
What happened
The ad won a Clio Award. No specific records of its results or public reaction could be confirmed, though.
Afterthought
Watching footage from over 60 years ago really makes you appreciate how convenient CGI has become for us today. But at the same time, you can feel that spirit of "if we don't have it, we'll just make it work." They went all the way to France and tackled the challenge of filming an invisible car using analog effects. That kind of passion deserves real respect.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 1961
Featured in
- The Product Is Nowhere to Be SeenHow choosing not to show became the boldest statement of all
