You are now entering Ad Space, a realm of commercials, brought before us so we might examine how they work, and discuss why we both love and hate them so. So it is written …

The Product:
Peugeot automobiles

The Promotion:

The Pitch:
We’re betting that buyers of the latest model cars are also fans of cartoon shows from the 60’s.

So, when I covered that Dungeons & Dragons/Renault ad last week, I had no idea that “commercial for French cars that recreates a decades old cartoon show in live action” was an entire genre. Or, at the very least, it’s happened twice, from two different French automobile manufacturers. That’s weird, right?

I haven’t yet found a third example, but I feel like if I keep looking, it’s probably out there somewhere.

What gets me about this one is how much detail they put into recreating the old Wacky Races cartoon. It’d be one thing to just do Dick Dastardly & Muttley, the breakout stars of the series who have appeared in several other cartoon series. But to faithfully recreate Wacky Racers like the Slag Brothers, Peter Perfect, the Gruesome Twosome, or the Red Max … feels like for someone involved in the project, this wasn’t just about cashing in on nostalgia – someone was bringing genuine fannish love to this commercial.

Though using the Wacky Races setup to show off your car’s features is pretty ingenious, I do have to say.

I also have to say, I agree with pretty much every YouTube comment this video got: I really want a live-action Wacky Races movie now!