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Here Is How Audi Is Getting Its Cars and Concepts in Blockbusters

Some film franchises are inseparable from certain carmakers in the collective memory: James Bond and Aston Martin, Ethan Hunt and BMW, the Marvel universe (MCU) and Audi.
Tony Stark from the MCU and Audi have a long-standing relationship 10 photos
Photo: AudiSoul / Audi USA
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The association is not by accident, of course, and represents a win-win for both parties involved: movie studios get to have their characters drive around in awesome cars, and automakers get tons of publicity. For Audi, this massive reach to international audiences, which is not possible through any of the traditional types of advertising, is what matters the most.

If the symbiotic relationship between automakers and movie studios is of particular interest to you, Audi Soul, Audi America’s own magazine, features an interview with Audi product placement head Kai Mensing, who’s been in this position since 2010 and handled several of Audi’s big projects.

Coming to contradict old reports that product placement happens by bending and twisting the narrative to fit the product being advertised, Mensing says that Audi doesn’t operate this way. The placement has to be organic or it doesn’t happen, he says. Also, Audi is not chasing after movie studios to have their cars show on screen.

“We usually read the script, and we check whether the offer matches our strategy and communication goals. If that is the case, we support the project with cars, parts and technical expertise. We will make sure the studio has all the resources it needs,” Mensing explains.

“We certainly don’t want to adapt any scenes to our own needs. Our goal is the organic, authentic integration of our brand and our products in entertainment for the general public, so we don’t force things. We adapt to the story. If the script requires a sporty car, we deliver an Audi R8, or one of the RS models, for example,” Mensing continues.

Whether Audi is delivering a brand new car or a concept, the process is fairly the same and involves flying several identical units and a team on location, and working closely with the studio to get exactly the type of footage they want. To state the obvious, Audi prefers action movies because they best allow cars to really shine, with Mensing’s favorite scene being the Audi SQ7 tunnel chase in Captain America: Civil War. Another of Mensing’s favorites is the e-tron GT concept that Tony Start drove in Avengers: Endgame.

Before you head over to read the entire interview, which is packed with interesting bits of the kind mentioned above, here is the ultimate Audi film checklist. And no, Mensing has no regrets for Audi doing Fifty Shades of Grey.

1982 – Audi 5000 in E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial
1998 – Audi S8 in Ronin
1999 – Audi A4 sedan in The Insider
2003 – Audi TT Roadster in Legally Blonde 2: Red White & Blonde
2006 – Audi A3 Sportback in Superman Returns
2007 – Audi A5 in The Bourne Ultimatum
2008 – Audi R8, S5 and Audi Q7 in Iron Man
2008 – Audi A3 Sportback and S8 in Taken
2010 – Audi A5 Sportback in The American
2013 – Audi R8 Spyder and A8 in The Wolverine
2014 – Audi A5 Convertible and S6 in Transformers: Age of Extinction
2015 – Audi A4 allroad, A3, A4 Convertible, Audi Q7, S7, S8 and R8 Spyder in Fifty Shades of Grey
2017 – Audi A8 in Spider-Man: Homecoming
2017 – Audi A3 and Audi Q7 in Fifty Shades Darker
2018 – Audi Q5, Q7, RS 7 and R8 in Fifty Shades Freed
2019 – Audi e-tron Sportback concept car and e-tron GT concept car in Avengers: Endgame
2019 – Audi e-tron SUV, A7 and Audi Q8 in Spider-Man: Far From Home
2019 – Audi RSQ e-tron concept car in Spies in Disguise
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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