Exactly four years after the controversial but very viral VW suicide bomber, Audi walks the same tricky road. A funny but disturbing commercial shows a man trying to kill himself in an Audi A5 TDi. Audi will probably deny being responsible, but that will make the video go even more viral. See for your self:

update: Audi claims a violation of it's trademark and urged YouTube to remove all copies. Here's Adland's version:

update 2: Adland has nothing to do with the production of this ad. They are simply hosting the video.

As I recall the VW suicide bomber was done by some film students and not initiated by the brand.

Do you know if this is a real ad? I can't imagine any car manufacturer being this insensitive.

Posted by: Uwe Gutschow at January 7, 2010 11:37 PM

Effective communication - point taken but still I think this is very, very wrong. I hope for Audi they will not win an EFFIE in proven increasement of suicides done with this kind of technique...

Posted by: Dimitri at January 8, 2010 08:55 AM

It must be so hard having to own an Audi...

Posted by: Gary at January 8, 2010 01:37 PM

This is a spec ad, that's all. Just like the VW suicide bomber.

Posted by: Åsk at January 8, 2010 02:02 PM

YouTube took it down..if you want to view the video you can see it here:

http://www.worldcarfans.com/110010723862/audi-commercial-suicide-proof-tdi

Posted by: craig at January 8, 2010 03:11 PM

I liked this idea better when i saw it in print...in a miami ad school student's book...2 years ago.

Posted by: Jeremy at January 8, 2010 04:26 PM

I thought it was funny and seriously doubt the notion that anyone would kill themself because they've seen it. At least it doesn't try to bore you to death.
Can anyone explain why it is so wrong, except the insensitivity it shows towards family of people who has offed themselves this way?

Posted by: Erik at January 8, 2010 05:19 PM

This is not a sanctioned Audi ad nor is it an Audi ad. Audi is working to remove this ad from the internet. Why would Audi put out such an Ad. Only a bimmer fanboy would think so.

Posted by: rlk at January 8, 2010 07:50 PM

This is awful and is how my brother died. This is disgusting, distressing, disturbing and Audi's people should be ashamed of themselves for even considering to shoot this commercial. Who in their right mind things that this is an effective means to sell their product? Who sits in the planning sessions for these ad campaigns at the ad companies and thinks, oh, here is a good way to show how clean burning the emissions are. every 17 mins in the U.S. alone someone DIES by suicide, leaving their families to wonder why. Emotional failure, mood disorders and such are not a laughing matter- esp to those of us who live it every day. Should we start airing commercials that include people dying from breast cancer, or how about Aids, or maybe another slow sort of death. Isn't our world cruel enough that cyber bullies and sexual predators get away with their acts, children go missing, people losing their jobs, the economy is causing more people to take their lives and this is wrong because it shows how easily it can be accomplished, plus inflicts pain on those of us who lost our loved ones this way. My brother was only 21. hardly a businessman in a $60000 car. he didn't even have the chance to become one when his depression cause his life to end this way. Adland, you suck.

Posted by: lisa at January 9, 2010 02:12 PM

for Adland comments sorry about your brother but Audi had nothing to do with it...this is not an Audi sanction ad...i know this to be a fact.. i love it when you knuckleheads jump down someone's throat when there is some jokesters making idiotic claims, videos and rumors..which manufacturer will really do something like this to hurt their business? for all those who made negative comments get real, get an education and get a life..

Posted by: rob thomas at January 9, 2010 03:16 PM

This ad was in NO way manufactured by Audi, Audi is a great car company and would never post any thing of this nature. Please read the above posts regarding Audi NOT producing this AD before you go ahead and respond. Please don't slander or hold responsible a great car company for some one else's stupid idea.

Posted by: Brandon at January 9, 2010 03:38 PM

"...Audi's people should be ashamed of themselves for even considering to shoot this commercial."

Maybe in all your fanaticism, you lost the ability to read or discern the truth. If you truly think Audi did this, YOU ARE RETARDED.

Posted by: insensitive jerk at January 10, 2010 02:05 AM

Now that Audi has been cleared of all charges, Adland is responsible for the advertisement, I demand all those that bad mouthed Audi and its employees to eat crow and apologize.

People should stop jumping to conclusions, get all the facts first before making accusations....

Posted by: Houston at January 10, 2010 07:21 AM

Youtube is so unmanaged when these things happens. Even the comments there are full of abusive language.

Posted by: Rinnell Garrett at January 10, 2010 06:36 PM

Is there any particular reason my comment wasn't approved?

I'll try again: Adland didn't create the ad, your assumptions are incorrect, I emailed Rocco about this on Friday already.

So to all ye hating on adland because of the above incorrect assumption, you can stop now. Sorry about your losses.

Posted by: dabitch at January 11, 2010 09:00 AM

Ciao Dabitch, sorry I didn't see your comment until this morning. Unfortunately we still get a lot of spam and sometimes real comments get unnoticed. Apologies about this. I will also add a note to the post

Posted by: Martina at January 11, 2010 09:26 AM

Thanks Martina. I hear you about the spam, it's unmanageable these days, and as it turns out I was emailing Rocco at the wrong agency. Thanks for sorting it out both of you guys.

Posted by: Dabitch at January 11, 2010 11:07 AM

Yes, ridiculous�
Even more if you remember this very good one. With a lot better execution� in 2002 !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZuwbnXRQ9c

http://www.minurl.fr/g3t

Posted by: eric at January 14, 2010 04:17 PM

Yes ridiculous... even more, when you look at this Citroen ad,

shot in 2002.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZuwbnXRQ9c

http://www.minurl.fr/g3t

Posted by: eric at January 14, 2010 05:05 PM

Don't blame Audi, Adland or the internet for your unmitgated clicks on a free enterprise landscape!

If you are sensitive, watch where you click!

Posted by: Marc at January 15, 2010 08:12 AM

hmmm! did i just waste my time watching that?

Posted by: paul jason at January 16, 2010 03:37 PM