Antena TV Ad Jokes with Steering Wheel

Antena ‘Steering Wheel’ has become one of the most widely distributed television commercials since its release in 2003. The ad for Romanian television station, Antena 1, features an elderly couple driving a red car along a country road. Birds are singing. Poplar trees straddle both sides of the road. Simon and Garfunkel’s song, “Mrs Robinson” plays in the background.

The woman pulls out a fake steering wheel. As they overtake another motorist in a yellow car she catches his eye. All of a sudden she swerves her wheel to the right. He takes evasive action. She cackles as the driver resumes their place on the right hand side of the road. The text: “They watched the antiboredom campaign intiated by antena.”

Credits

Steering Wheel, or ‘Volanul’ as it is known in Romanian, was created by advertising agency Leo Burnett Romania, Bucharest, by creative director Bogdan Naumovic, art director Tudor Cuciuc, copywriter Carmen Calugareanu and agency producer Laura Georgescu.

Filming was shot by director Radu Muntean via Castel Film with producer Eugen Dinca. Editing and sound design were done at Abis Studio, Bucharest.

‘Steering Wheel’ won a bronze award at the Golden Drum 2004 Festival and was shortlisted at the Clio Awards.

Two other Antena TV ‘anti boredom’ ads were released in 2003. In “Politistul” (Policeman), a traffic policeman is directing traffic at a busy intersection when he is called by a pedestrian.
“Officer! Please, officer, it’s an emergency!”
“Where? What happened?”
“Up there, come on!”
They run up the stairs of an apartment building.
“Quickly, 3rd floor…”
“Come on… it’s this door!”
“Let’s ring!”
“Here?”
“Yes, let’s ring!”
The policeman knocks on the door.
“Police! Open the door!”
The pedestrian runs to the stairs.
“And now, let’s RUN!”

In “Mingea” (Ball) two men in soccer costumes stand behind a fence. They yell out to a pedestrian, “Excuse me, sir… can we have the ball, please?” We see a soccer ball on the road. The pedestrian, dressed in business clothes and carrying a briefcase, looks at his watch. He puts the case down and runs over to the ball and kicks it. He yells in pain and we soon see why. The ball has been stuffed with white stones. The two men laugh and run back to their soccer game.