Roxanna Bianco

lancia lybra

“Ugly, yet comfortable”. Perhaps not the ideal brief for creating an aspirational car ad. Even more so, when the car model is living the last year of it’s production life.

In this TVC, we created a situation where the driver – Harrison Ford – is suddenly forced to drive the “comfy” Lybra in a dynamic way. (After all, it’s a life or death situation!)

By doing so, we added some performance to the car’s value whilst reminding viewers of the Lancia Lybra’s comfortable interiors.

RESULTS: Thanks to this TVC combined with Fiat-Lancia dealer incentives, the remaining 100 vehicles sold out within one week….making room in the showrooms for the brand new Lybra model.

BEHIND THE SCENES: The TVC was shot in Normandy, France. Harrison flew himself, as pilot, from New York in his own private jet for the shoot. He insisted on doing all the driving scenes in the ad, including the close-up “hand changing gear” shots. Sigh. What a guy. On the set, as he was climbing into the rigged car through the car window, I overheard the young actress say to him “hey, you gotta nice ass for an old guy”. “Couldn’t agree more” I thought to myself as I stood by watching with a broken arm, plastered all the way up to my shoulder.