Subaru masters the art of car advertising

Does the name Harold Scruby mean anything to you? Scruby is the Chairman and CEO of the Pedestrian Council of Australia, and a man who seems happy to set himself up as the arch-enemy of the enthusiast.

He is notorious for being the first one on the phone should a car company release an advertisement that shows even a hint of a driver enjoying themselves behind the wheel.

Remember Holden’s ‘Thunder’ ad, featuring a ute doing circle work in a paddock? You can thank Scruby for its disappearance, among many others. Thankfully, it appears there is no Spanish equivalent of Harold Scruby.

While Australia’s motor vehicle advertising standards are stricter than the drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket, Spain appears to have adopted a more liberal approach, judging by these two recent efforts from Subaru Espana.

The first has been around a while and involves a mad early-morning dash to get some milk in a BRZ. Its follow-up, released last week, follows a similar premise, with our handy wheelman needing WRC levels of commitment to pick up the bread before his girlfriend makes the trip from the bedroom to the kitchen.

Ok, so they’re slightly cheesy and the ‘Gymkhana’ antics are a long way short of Ken Block’s best, but for these to come from a global manufacturer is, by local standards, astounding. Enjoy.