Audi said it will advertise in the Super Bowl for the second straight year as Volkswagen's luxury brand continues to make the game a key part of its media strategy.
An Audi spokeswoman on Thursday confirmed the buy to Advertising Age, an affiliate of Automotive News, but did not provide creative details. The spot will be handled by Audi's lead creative agency, San Francisco-based Venables Bell & Partners.
Audi is the third automaker to confirm a Super Bowl ad buy, following Kia and Honda. Automakers typically use Super Bowl spots to plug new models. Audi has a busy year planned on the new product front.
Audi sat out the 2015 game, ending a streak of seven straight appearances. The Super Bowl and its massive TV audience has played a key role in Audi's pursuit of a "progressive luxury" positioning.
Last year Audi ran a sentimental spot called "Commander," featuring a retired astronaut driving the Audi R8 V10 plus. The soundtrack was David Bowie's "Starman."
It proved to be a timely choice, as news on the singer's legacy spiked in the wake of his January 2016 death. Audi drew attention from the likes of the Washington Post, which reported that the ad "gets an extra punch from the recent death of David Bowie, but one suspects it would have been just as impactful even if Ziggy Stardust still walked this earth."
Audi this week reported that 2016 U.S. sales grew 4 percent in 2016 to 210,213 vehicles, which surpassed 2015 as the brand's best annual performance.
