For as long as there have been cars, there have been rivalries between the people who make them. These days, however, when the automakers’ gloves come off, what follows is often a flurry of words rather than fists. And of course, a picture says a thousands words – videos even more.
Without further ado, here are our favourite social media victories of all time.
Lamborghini puts Aston Martin fan in his place
When random Australian Twitter user Scott Buszard recommended Aston Martin over Lamborghini to Des Dickerson (potentially catching the eye of her 16.5K followers), Lamborghini’s official Twitter account basically told him he doesn’t know what a “real super sports car” is. The reply was as passionate as you expect Lambos to be, and all the better for the very Italian-esque grammatical miscue.
Smart defends itself against random tweeter
Clayton Hove, a fairly well-followed advertising commentator, just randomly decided to poke fun at the diminutive Smart back in its early days on the market, suggesting a bird dropping could total it.
Well, Smart was having none of that and took the opportunity to highlight the ForTwo’s incredibly strong Tridion safety cell in an infographic we could all understand, using “bird crap” as the unit of measurement of course. There’s also a gem of a footnote stating that the bird poop equivalent figures are estimated, “But they’re not totally full of crap, either.”
Audi bares its metal
I have no idea if this kid really meant to send the request for nudes to Audi’s official Twitter account, and if he even expected a response, but he got one, and it was perfect.
BMW dealership outthinks rival Audi
Before there was Twitter, brands still tried to outdo each other, in racing, in sales, and of course, in advertising, but never has a billboard been used for such an epic comeback as when Santa Monica BMW put Audi in its place with just one word.
Mercedes trolls BMW for its birthday
Okay, this isn’t a comeback per se, but Mercedes put BMW in its place with this little Instagram video honouring BMW’s 100th birthday, and reminding everyone that they had already been building cars for 30 years before BMW was formed. The video was complemented by ads inviting BMW employees free admission to the Mercedes-Benz Museum “to discover the complete history of the automobile.”
Honda steps in after Chevy attacks Ford aluminum beds
Chevy has gotten tons of grief for the “Real people. No Actors.” commercials on so many levels, and perhaps the most misguided of the spots was when they decided to poke holes in the Ford F-150’s aluminum bed, literally.
Aside from the commercial being terrible, it reeked of desperation and denial when aluminum is one of the key materials for the entire industry to make vehicles lighter, stronger, and more efficient, but it also completely ignores the fact that most beds have bedliners of some sort.
Curiously, it was Honda that countered to show what it would really look like when the rocks hit a bed lined with a typical protective covering.
Oh, and although it’s not a corporate comeback, there are endless hilarious parodies that are well worth checking out.
Jaguar feasts on Mercedes metaphor
In 2013, Mercedes was just introducing its Magic Body Control adaptive suspension, and used a chicken’s incredibly stable head and flexible body as a metaphor for the cabin’s excellent stillness even on harsh, bumpy roads or curves and corners.
Well, that chicken just looked way too tasty for the brand with the big cat on its hoods, and Jaguar brought out a jaguar to represent its “cat-like reflexes” and the brands preference for handling prowess over comfort.
Mercedes did counter back, showing that Jaguar’s insults slide right off their backs.
Audi and Porsche Le Mans Racing Rivalry
As time marches on (and companies see the brand perception benefit of a well-played retort), comebacks get increasingly more funding, and Volkswagen Group was willing to foot the bill for a pair of videos for milestones in Audi and Porsche’s racing teams. It started with Audi welcoming sister brand Porsche to Le Mans racing with a bit of a “Come at me bro” video.
Three years later, when Audi announced its departure from Le Mans racing, Porsche came up with this goofy spot that captures the spirit of friendly rivalry.
BMW roasts Tesla Model 3 wait times
BMW is at it again in a pair of ads that clearly show how offended they are at all the attention the Tesla Model 3 is getting even before they had a car for sale.
BMW wasn’t the only one taking digs at customers on the Model 3 wait list, as Nissan published newspaper ads questioning “Why wait when you can drive an all-electric Leaf now? And why drop $1,000 to stand in line when you can get $4,000 cash back and best-in-class range?”
Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce execs squabble
While not as clever as clever as some of the marketing minds and Twitter handlers, it is hilarious to see a pair of execs for two of the world’s most luxurious and storied automotive brands going at each other. At the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, Aston Martin design chief Marek Reichman was being interviewed about his vision for the future of Aston Martin, but when the topic of luxury came up, he raked Rolls-Royce and Bentley over the coals: “Rolls-Royce and Bentley are Ancient Greece today. I worked on the original Phantom. The brief was Buckingham Palace on wheels.”
Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös, being interviewed the next day, would not let that pass, and claimed Aston Martin were essentially chasing Rolls-Royce’s more visionary and radical 103EX concept. On the subject of luxury, Müller-Ötvös kicked Aston Martin down a couple rungs: “They really don’t understand our segment, they really don’t understand the customers. They are in a complete different league on pricing, they have zero clue what’s going on in the upper upper segment – zero. I am sorry to be so blunt.”
Yeah, we’re sure you’re sorry, Torsten, but we’re not.
Bonus: Kia Forte puts rival to shame on the race track
In the age-old rivalry between the compact Forte and its familiar nemesis, Kia decided to get the comeback in before the Italian brand could really make its move, crushing its impractical and awkward design in this monumental slap down commercial.
