Seat puts the ‘car’ into carnal with new ad campaign

It’s not often that a TV advertisement for a car is banned from being shown before the 9pm watershed – unless, that is, it’s a fun new campaign by SEAT to promote its spacious Altea hatchback.

The theme of the campaign, showing currently on national television, is ‘Space For Everything But Compromise’, and highlights the human need for personal space. People appear in the advert with their own specific ‘personal space’ highlighted by colourful bubbles. The size of the personal space bubbles vary according to the situation – large in the case of a relaxed individual watching TV on the sofa, but squeezed smaller for hassled commuters on a tube train fighting to protect their territory.

The full length version of the advertisement also shows a couple getting particularly intimate in bed, with minimal bubbles to highlight that this is when the desire for personal space is usually at its lowest. Because the action was deemed too steamy to be broadcast before the watershed, this scene is absent when the advert is shown before 9pm.

The Altea is first and foremost a car built to satisfy the growing demand for added room and functionality. Despite its seemingly compact exterior dimensions, the interior offers exceptional roominess in all five seats and in the two-tiered 409-litre capacity boot (which becomes 510 litres with the rear seats slid forwards). But it also combines driving pleasure with a strong visual presence in a way not seen before in this class of car.

Steve Robertson, Head of Marketing for SEAT UK, said: ‘This new campaign captures the spirit of SEAT perfectly – it’s fun, entertaining and also a bit cheeky. In addition, it gets across the strong message that the Altea is a dynamic, driver-orientated car with an impressively cavernous interior.’

The SEAT Altea ‘Space for Everything But Compromise’ campaign was conceived by Atletico, and will be shown throughout the whole of October.