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"Vorsprung durch Technik" - what?!! Apparently, it means something along the lines of "advancement through technology" in German, and has long been the slogan of the Audi company. In 1984, the slogan achieved fame here in England, with actor Geoffrey Palmer telling viewers that an Audi 100 was needed if the Germans were to be beaten in the race for the swimming pool. "Vorsprung durch Technik, as they say in Germany," said Mr Palmer in droll posh English tones, and it rapidly became one of the ad catchphrases of the mid-to-late decade.
Mr Palmer, already a TV favourite (remember him in Butterflies?), now had a new claim to fame.
The idea to use the "Vorsprung durch Technik" slogan in English language Audi ads came about when Sir John Hegarty, of the Bartle Bogle Hegarty advertising agency, visited the Audi factory in 1982.
This brilliant Kit-Kat chocolate bar TV ad is entitled "Pop Band" and dates from 1984. I love it. I actually like the tune as well! Gets me tapping my feet! Similarly, I liked the sound of Not The Nine O'Clock News' 1982 ditty Nice Video, Shame About The Song ("Let's spend our honeymoon in East Berlin...") - and could quite happily have bopped around the dancefloor if a full-length version had ever reached my local nite spot!
Back to the ad: "You can't sing, you can't play, you look awful. You'll go a long way..." Sounds like me in the '80s.
Apart from the last bit (sigh).
UPDATE 21/5/12
Thanks to my readers who have provided further information about this ad. It was filmed at Wembley in 1984, the band member on the far left has "1984" emblazoned on his T-shirt, and the agent is played by actor Gavin Richards, who has featured in many television productions over the years, including EastEnders (as Terry Raymond) and 'Allo 'Allo as Captain Alberto Bertorelli. Carol Smillie also features (second left).
The ad was beautifully done. Just look at the band: by 1984, the New Romantic scene was just about dead, although it had left its influence. The guy on the far left in the band has a modest version of the A Flock Of Seagulls quiff, with the uplifts at the side; in 1983 and 1984 Bananarama were big news and the two girls are 'nana clones, obviously happily embracing the brave new worlds of hair gel and mousse; the guy on the right is your typical trendy dude, whilst the dapper agent with the pink tie... well, need I say more? 1984 lives!
This wonderfully witty ad was clearly inspired by the 1981 film Indiana Jones & The Raiders Of The Lost Ark! One of the people who worked on the ad has since joked that the makers were worried about being sued by George Lucas, and also joked that the lava featured in the ad may have helped inspire the next Indiana Jones epic - The Temple Of Doom! The ad's director was Paul Weiland, and it first appeared on-screen around 1983. The working title of the ad was "Safe". The late actor John Ringham, also Norman Warrender in popular '80s sit com Just Good Friends, played the ad's fearless hero.
"Vorsprung durch Technik" - what?!! Apparently, it means something along the lines of "advancement through technology" in German, and has long been the slogan of the Audi company. In 1984, the slogan achieved fame here in England, with actor Geoffrey Palmer telling viewers that an Audi 100 was needed if the Germans were to be beaten in the race for the swimming pool. "Vorsprung durch Technik, as they say in Germany," said Mr Palmer in droll posh English tones, and it rapidly became one of the ad catchphrases of the mid-to-late decade.
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