I was a part of the leadership team that brought John McClane back for the launch of Diehard Batteries at Advance Auto Parts.
The film begins with McClane and a dead car battery. Before he can make it to Advance Auto Parts, McClane crosses paths with old foe Theo and his crew. After a narrow escape and a chance meeting with limo driver Argyle, the action accelerates. From bad guy takedowns to a giant earth mover chase and, of course, a massive explosion, the film merges the worlds of the action classic “Die Hard” and the battery, showing viewers that McClane and DieHard are equally reliable, durable, and powerful.
The film begins with McClane and a dead car battery. Before he can make it to Advance Auto Parts, McClane crosses paths with old foe Theo and his crew. After a narrow escape and a chance meeting with limo driver Argyle, the action accelerates. From bad guy takedowns to a giant earth mover chase and, of course, a massive explosion, the film merges the worlds of the action classic “Die Hard” and the battery, showing viewers that McClane and DieHard are equally reliable, durable, and powerful.
The spot was teased with a 15-second unbranded trailer, which “leaked” courtesy of Willis’ three daughters on social media. The next day, the full-length commercial aired during a high-profile NFL game. Not only was the return of John McClane confirmed, but the world was reminded of the power and durability of DieHard batteries. Social media buzzed about the possibility of another Die Hard movie!
The campaign generated a wave of earned media coverage, including write-ups in top-tier publications such as The Hollywood Report and Vanity Fair. More importantly, publicity following the campaign directly led to a 15% increase in net sales for the brand.
The campaign and film performed incredibly well in-market, and similar to a DieHard battery, continue to perform and do the iconic brand and character justice this awards season.
Campaign Big Awards
Winner: Automotive
American Advertising Awards
Gold (Local & District): Regional/National TV Commercial
Gold (Local & District): Branded Content & Entertainment for TV
Gold (Local & District): Cinematography — Single
Winner (National): Elements of Advertising, Cinematography
PRO Awards
Gold: Best Brand Awareness
Gold: Best Buzz
Gold: Best Use of Video
Silver: Best Entertainment Sponsorship or Tie-In
Silver: Best Integrated Campaign
Effie Awards
Bronze: Automotive, Aftermarket
One Show
Shortlist: Branded Entertainment
Shortlist: Creative Effectiveness
The campaign and film performed incredibly well in-market, and similar to a DieHard battery, continue to perform and do the iconic brand and character justice this awards season.
Campaign Big Awards
Winner: Automotive
American Advertising Awards
Gold (Local & District): Regional/National TV Commercial
Gold (Local & District): Branded Content & Entertainment for TV
Gold (Local & District): Cinematography — Single
Winner (National): Elements of Advertising, Cinematography
PRO Awards
Gold: Best Brand Awareness
Gold: Best Buzz
Gold: Best Use of Video
Silver: Best Entertainment Sponsorship or Tie-In
Silver: Best Integrated Campaign
Effie Awards
Bronze: Automotive, Aftermarket
One Show
Shortlist: Branded Entertainment
Shortlist: Creative Effectiveness
In a statement, Willis said, “I’ve never done any sort of commercial with the John McClane character, but Advance Auto Parts brought an idea to integrate DieHard the battery into the Die Hard story through a short film that’s authentic to McClane and both brands. Advance approached this like a motion picture–the script is clever, the production intense and the spot is entertaining. This is what Die Hard fans expect. I think they will dig the DieHard–Die Hard mashup.”
