Anti-Competitor Advertising? In the US all is possible...

The UK is a country of politeness, gentlemen and undisputed tea habits. Its traditions generally tend to apply within all areas of the country's industry, including advertising.

Yet within the high-flying-all-is-possible United States of America, such traditions and polite measures do not apply. Take one of my favourite brands, Audi, for example.

Audi is an innovator in terms of its marketing strategies. It has especially outperformed itself within the US. Yet some of its marketing tactics, even if amusing, tend to be what some would claim as anti-competitive.

Click on the video below to see the advert of Audi vs. BMW









Personally I find the advert amusingly entertaining and very spot on, but as throughout my academic participation I have been told, anti-competitive advertising can be in parts illegal and lead to retaliation or worse legal action. Even though this advert isn't in any way negative towards BMW [and perhaps also not really anti-competitive], it still bears the question of what certain companies are capable of when wanting to appear 'better' than the competitor?

Despite it all, Audi's tremendous growth in car sales and brand awareness within the USA has made it a brand to look up to. Despite the current economic situation, the German manufacturer has overcome all stereotypes of 'Quick, there's a recession - let's cut our marketing budget!' and continued to focus on success via keeping to its marketing strategy and not allowing a crisis to drag it down.

Apart from that, I'd say Audi within the USA is a little giant about to take a big bite out of the luxury car market, stealing the spotlight from Lexus, Mercedes and BMW.

Pretty impressive I say.