Subaru collaborates with musician Harts to launch W-Wah-X in new campaign via Disciple
Subaru Australia has collaborated with homegrown musician, Harts, to launch the new WRX via Sydney creative agency, Disciple.
Aptly named W-Wah-X, the campaign sees the WRX’s accelerator pedal replaced with an iconic Wah guitar effects pedal; the result being a live music performance, with the WRX being both driven and used as an instrument simultaneously.
Disciple, Subaru’s creative agency, created the unique concept when tasked to broaden the appeal of the WRX and take it to a new audience, while still keeping the iconic attitude Subaru purists love.
Says Alan Wilson, copywriter at Disciple: “The Wah pedal has created some of the most distinctive riffs, solos and ‘wacka wacka’ moments over the past 40 years.
“Many legendary guitarists have performed with it on stage, and with the WRX being a legendary performer on the road, it became the perfect match.”
When it came to finding the right guitarist, Australian musician, Harts, was the obvious choice. Described by Rolling Stones Magazine as, “A supernaturally talented young buck who’s mastered Hendrix’s blistering guitar”, Harts worked the fretboard while Richard Bowers, of Melbourne band Magic Bones, operated both the vehicle accelerator and Wah pedal simultaneously.
But the real star of the show was the Wah pedal.
Modified by creative technologist, James Bush, and Subaru national technical advisor, Robert Choon, the pedal controlled both the legendary WRX Boxer Engine and the ‘wah-wah’ sounds blasting out of the Marshall amp created by Harts.
Says Andrew Caie, general manager of marketing, Subaru: “This was an original project that grew out of that classic feeling of barrelling along in a great driving car with a great music track and the volume blasting.
“That’s what made it fun for the team, including Harts. Harts brought no airs and graces with him. All we had to do was throw in a few really passionate technical people, crew, musos – and a WRX of course – and away it went.
“This is a very different type of performance from an iconic car that also delivers exceptional comfort, safety and practicality.”
The campaign was directed by Peter Moore from //13&CO and will rollout nationally from November 4th. The campaign will feature a short film and will be accompanied by feature videos, social and online nationwide.
Creative Agency – Disciple
Creative Partner – Pete Buckley
Creative Partner – Tim Brown
Planning Director – Kathy O’Connor
Art Director – Peter Defries
Copywriter – Alan Wilson
Account Director – Vincent Pled
Designer – Ilya Aronovich
Creative Technologist – James Bush
Client – Subaru Australia
General Manager, Marketing – Andrew Caie
National Marketing Manager – Amanda Leaney
Brand Marketing Manager – Josephine Furlong
National Technical Advisor – Robert Choon
Production Company – //13&CO
Director – Pete Moore
Executive Producer – Roy De Giorgio
DoP – Adam Eden
Editor – Joe Morris
Sound Design – Andrew Stevenson
33 Comments
This feels so much stronger than Hyundai’s amped up ukulele playing The Black Keys.
Good concept with amazing execution. Such a fresh innovative idea.
W-wah-wah-what a load of rubbish.
innovation = replace a pedal, with a different pedal.
Bravo.
That’s really effing cool
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Tough crowd. I liked it.
It’s a cool experiment.
And that’s exactly what it is. Not a great comms/content piece. Well constructed, nicely shot etc. No doubt. Just not super compelling – it’s missing the wow and the why.
This is awesome! Love it.
Nice stuff Disciple and Subaru!
This is super cool!
All these automotive brands/campaigns are so BORING, this is a breath of sweaty rock n’ roll air.
Accelerator pedal looks like wah-wah pedal.
Both used for performance.
Tenuous link.
What am I supposed to get out of it?
No. No. No. No. No. A freaking Squire FFS? Grrrrrrrrrrr.
“As long as you want to believe the world is a stage, then appoint me your electric stagehand. And I shall produce upon you an overwhelming hurricane and sling you through the vast middle… as calm as an untouched baby’s brain I shall let it drain away your clammy nerve… See your children outside the swirling hurricane, with your blurred tears, laughing at your vision keen.
Wonder, don’t they, where you learn how to bleed and scream your homemade pain.
Music goes by the rules of the present air. Listen passively as my guitar howls and grinds and unwinds and dines upon the spelling of your name…
You’re on stage! Hear The World Hurricane applaud… See your reflection on your self-made stage as you are forced up to the spinning edge.
“The world is a stage, the world is a stage”…
History even forgets.
The hurricane leaves before you finish off the world;
Thank God. Your act’s a disgrace.”
Yesssssssssssssssas. Just needed more solos.
It’s definitely the best thing to come out of Australian automotive for a long time
So, few months ago we saw an “Opera Performance” of the throttle by Italian car, which seems to have went on “last season clearance” sale and slapped with a Rock theme and different client label on top.
Wouldn’t be the World First recycled ad though, if that’s what the opening title implies
A tough category. Congratulations Disciple for coming up with and selling through the idea, also to Subaru for having the courage to take on such a unique and innovative approach. Beautifully directed and a good editors piece. Well done to everyone involved.
what rubbish. subaru is a great brand with dissapointing comms.
Sorry, the link between an accelerator pedal and was-wah pedal is utter bollocks…..anyone who drives a car knows that. Who and why would you use your accelerator pedal like that….i was intrigued to view the film, but was left feeling wtf!
We arent stupid.
Overdubbing an experiment with polished studio music defeats the entire point your trying to make!!! Arghh!
That car would be bunny hopping all over the place.
Fundamental misunderstanding of music, cars and people.
The reason Subaru sell well is because they are well put together cars with a loyal following, great after sales service and they are comparatively cheap to buy and run.
The advertising makes 2/5ths of fuck all of a difference, most Subarus are recommended by friends.
If they were to tie this to music, why rock and not doof doof? You’ll alienate all the pill popping grease monkeys who normally go for this car.
Good one Al & Pete and all involved.
Gold
nothing like the alfa ad which was total crap.
this is great and it is nice to see a brand experiment in attracting a new audience.
good work guys.
Cannot wait until someone convinces Breville to strap Jane Rutters flute to a kitchen kettle. So obvious right?
Why can’t more card ads be like this? Brilliant.
It was also missing the wah.
I wanted to hear some really freakin’ cool wah wah.
Didn’t happen.
squeamishly awful and silly concept which shows the age of the creatives and mindset of the client…stuck in the PAST
a phony gimmick does nothing to sell the car whatsoever
It’s too long, no sane person wants to listen to some mumbler talk about his axe.
This is some of the best car cinematography i have ever seen, love the internal car angles and especially the fast motion camera presumably mounted on the front bumper bar and side panels.
Bravo
This is sick you mad dogs.
As a car lover and musician, this is embarrassingly flawed.
If this pedal did what it’s claiming it’s doing, the car would be bunny hopping down the straight like an L plater in mum’s Camira.
Also, don’t try to pass off a pre-recorded music track as a live recording.
Typical corporate car industry total no idea sit
In an office and kiss each other’s ass bullshit.
I am a musician and also work in the car industry.
I have sent this video to a lot of my muso friends.
Pretty much the same response.Rolling on the
floor pissing themselves laughing.What a load
of bullshit.You might want to edit out the other
guitar player in the back ground as well.Any
way I hope you paid the “Harts”Rock star bro
Enough money to buy a real fender.Omg typical
Australian no idea car commerercial and new
gen y musician crap.Keep up the good work
for Subaru(And the wankers from inch cape.
Stupid idea.Total bullocks.Lost for words.
@Total Rusbbish
…so almost 3 months after this media release you are lost for words. I’ve heard of slow, but that’s glacial-like. And I think you mean ‘bollocks’, not cows, oh wise one.
Well at least you got paid for that shit.It goes to show
how out of touch they are with their own product.
Your add content should have included a kebab shop,drag strip and
a lot of fully sick bro dudes.Not a d grade multi
skilled jack of all trades master of none muso.Is that guy
even real (the car was playing the guitar)Wtf.Im sure this campaign has boosted
his career in leaps and bounds.Maybe you could have combined a Toyota add with
a hilux with a roof mounted 50 cal machine gun on the roof .Then put an electric
drum kit in the back and triggered it so when you hit it the gun fires then chase
the guys in the Subaru down the airstrip….Anyway the glacial pace is because
every time I use pandora I end up seeing this add or friends on Facebook
like Subaru Australia then it comes up again. Yes I have seen I for months.
I have laughed every time.Any person dog cat or wombat that has any idea how to play music or drive a car would laugh.How Embarrassing .I would love to be taking
the drugs that put the thought process in play for the.concept.Anyway better luck next time but I’m sure you all got paid and got to drive subarus for a month or two.
Happy Trails
P.S. honestly you should sack the person who came up with the concept .