The ''Batman'' OnStar commercials were a series of six television commercials featuring comic book superhero
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
, created by ad-agency
Campbell-Ewald
Campbell Ewald is an advertising and marketing communications agency headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, with offices in Los Angeles and New York. Campbell Ewald is part of advertising company Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG).
History
In 1 ...
and based on the
Tim Burton
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...
/
Joel Schumacher
Joel T. Schumacher (; August 29, 1939June 22, 2020) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Raised in New York City by his mother, Schumacher graduated from Parsons School of Design and originally became a fashion designer. H ...
''Batman'' film series, airing from 2000 to the beginning of 2002. The commercials promoted the use of the automobile onboard guiding system
OnStar
OnStar Corporation is a subsidiary of General Motors that provides subscription-based communications, in-vehicle security, emergency services, turn-by-turn navigation, and remote diagnostics systems throughout the United States, Canada, China, Mex ...
. The commercials were successful, leading to a large increase in subscribers and a higher rate of subscriber renewals.
[Raymond, Joan. "Holy Toledo!" ''American Demographics''. March 2001, Volume 23, Issue 3.]
Production
Two of the commercials ("Hot Date" and "Riddle Me This") were directed by
Vincent Ward, while the other four were directed by
Andrew Davis, working with Director of Photography Thomas Kloss.
["OnStar/Batman Ad Campaign Includes Sweepstakes With Movie Walk-On As Prize"](_blank)
May 22, 2001. The Auto Channel. The production company was Millennium Pictures (Detroit),
special effect
Special effects (often abbreviated as SFX, F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual wor ...
s were provided by
Flash Film Works
Flash Film Works is a computer graphics company that provides visual effects for films, television shows and commercials. It is owned by director William Mesa and is located in Los Angeles, California.
History
In 1993, Visual Effects Supervisor ...
, and the scripts were written by Nancy Wellinger and Jim Millis.
[Flash Film Works: OnStar Batman Commercials](_blank)
Accessed April 6, 2008 The Batman OnStar commercials helped promote brand name awareness of the system, leading to a large increase in subscribers and a higher rate of subscriber renewals.
The commercials were shot at the Warner Bros. lot. Flash Film Works did the special effects, including creating and compositing the
Batsignal
The Bat-Signal is a distress signal device appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, as a means to summon the superhero, Batman. It is a specially modified searchlight with a stylized emblem of a bat affixed to the light, allowing ...
, airbag, the Riddler's
skywriting
Skywriting is the process of using one or more small aircraft, able to expel special smoke during flight, to fly in certain patterns that create writing readable from the ground. These messages can be advertisements, general messages of celebrat ...
(copying the writing style from ''
Batman Forever
''Batman Forever'' (on-screen title is simply ''Forever'') is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The third installment of W ...
'') and erasing/covering various shots of the Warner backlot.
Back in 1997,
John Dykstra
John Charles Dykstra, A.S.C. (; born June 3, 1947) is an American special effects artist, pioneer in the development of the use of computers in filmmaking and recipient of three Academy Awards, among many other awards and prizes. He was one of ...
chose Flash Film Works to work on the motion picture ''
Batman & Robin''. They created a digital
matte painting
A matte painting is a painting, painted representation of a landscape, set (film and TV scenery), set, or distant location that allows filmmaking, filmmakers to create the illusion of an environment that is not present at the filming location. H ...
of an ice-laden
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his allies and foes. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, the cit ...
, as well as performing some rig and wire removal work on the film.
OnStar's licensing agreement with
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
had additional benefits, as the production teams were given access to DC's creative resources. The advertisements were thus able to use the 'real'
Batcave
The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal r ...
(which was constructed at the Queen Mary Dome in Long Beach, CA), as well as utilising the
Batmobile
The Batmobile is the fictional car driven by the superhero Batman. Housed in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is both a heavily armored tactical assault vehicle and a personalized custom-built pursuit a ...
that was featured in the two
Tim Burton
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...
-directed Batman films (
''Batman'' and ''
Batman Returns
''Batman Returns'' is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton and written by Daniel Waters. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to '' Batman'' (1989) and the second installment in the 1989–1997 ''Batm ...
''). Also featured in the OnStar commercials was composer
Danny Elfman
Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the singer-songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since the 1990s, Elfman has garnered internation ...
's score from the films. The
Batsuit
The Batsuit (or Bat-Suit) is the costume of DC Comics' fictional superhero Batman, who appears in their American comic books. The suit has been depicted in various ways, and the stories themselves have described Batman as modifying the details o ...
that was featured in the commercials was not specifically designed or tailored for
Bruce Thomas
Bruce Thomas (born 14 August 1948 in Stockton-on-Tees, England) is an English rock bass guitarist, best known as bassist for the Attractions; the band formed in 1977 to back Elvis Costello in concert and on record.
In addition to his work ...
, the actor that played Batman in the ads, who said it was simply made up of "bits and pieces of stunt guy's suits that fit me".
["BatPodcast interview with Bruce Thomas"](_blank)
Accessed October 9, 2014 Given the time period it is likely that most of the suit pieces were left over from
''Batman & Robin''. Thomas was trained to "be Batman" by stunt coordinator Alex Daniels, who also performed the stunts in the OnStar commercials. Daniels was already a veteran of the Batman franchise, having done stunts on ''
Batman Forever
''Batman Forever'' (on-screen title is simply ''Forever'') is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The third installment of W ...
'' and
''Batman & Robin'', on which he was also a stunt coordinator. According to Bruce Thomas, much of the crew working on the commercials had also worked on the Batman films.
In addition to set, costume and prop details, DC provided access to footage from the films (in particular, scenes of Batman jumping from a building in "Minor Setbacks" derive from the films) to emphasize the differences between Batman's use of the OnStar system and the more normal mundane usage.
In addition to DC having input on the scripts, customer research reminded the company that "Batman always gets the villain," which had apparently been missed.
Cast
The actor portraying Batman in the OnStar spots is
Bruce Thomas
Bruce Thomas (born 14 August 1948 in Stockton-on-Tees, England) is an English rock bass guitarist, best known as bassist for the Attractions; the band formed in 1977 to back Elvis Costello in concert and on record.
In addition to his work ...
,
Curtis Armstrong
Curtis Armstrong (born November 27, 1953) is an American actor and singer best known for playing the role of Booger in the ''Revenge of the Nerds'' movies, Herbert Viola on the TV series ''Moonlighting'', Miles Dalby in the film '' Risky Busines ...
portrays the
Joker in one of the ads,
Vicki Vale
Victoria Vale (usually called "Vicki" or "Vickie") is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the character debuted in ' ...
is played by
Brooke Burns
Brooke Elizabeth Burns (born March 16, 1978) is an American fashion model, game show host, actress, and television personality. Burns began her television career in 1995, portraying the supporting character Out of the Blue (1996 TV series), Pe ...
, and the
Riddler
The Riddler (Edward Nigma, later Edward Nygma or Edward Nashton) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, and debuted in ''Detective Comics'' #140 in Oc ...
is played by
Brian Stepanek
Brian Patrick Stepanek (born February 6, 1971) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Arwin Hawkhauser on the Disney Channel Original Series ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'' and Brian on ''Brian O'Brian''. He was also a Sector Seve ...
in one of the ads.
Michael Gough
Francis Michael Gough ( ; 23 November 1916 – 17 March 2011) was a British character actor who made more than 150 film and television appearances. He is known for his roles in the Hammer Horror Films from 1958, with his first role as Sir Arthu ...
, who portrays Bruce Wayne's butler,
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman.
Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler, ...
, in the ''Batman'' films directed by Tim Burton and
Joel Schumacher
Joel T. Schumacher (; August 29, 1939June 22, 2020) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Raised in New York City by his mother, Schumacher graduated from Parsons School of Design and originally became a fashion designer. H ...
, reprises his role in the OnStar ads. The voice of OnStar Representative, Karen Boyd, is that of
Joanna Rubiner.
Cost
OnStar began a
$50 million ad campaign in February 2000, although it is unknown precisely how much of that number was set aside to make the Batman commercials. In 2002, GM dropped Batman as the spokesman, replacing him with radio ads.
[Miller, Joe]
"Holy unemployment! Batman loses job as Onstar pitchman"
Bloomberg. November 8, 2002.
The ads
Following on from OnStar's earliest TV ads playing on childhood fears and out-of-car personal testimonials, the company licensed
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
to market its "year 2000 factory-installed version," in the "world's most technological car," referring to the
Batmobile
The Batmobile is the fictional car driven by the superhero Batman. Housed in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is both a heavily armored tactical assault vehicle and a personalized custom-built pursuit a ...
.
OnStar marketer Michael McEnaney described the premise as demonstrating that:
:"if OnStar empowers Batman, consumers will get that OnStar can help them 'handle anything that life throws at them.'"
The ads demonstrated "examples of possible driving dangers, while remaining in the realm of fantasy," thereby downplaying the "scary side of danger," as well as making the spots "vehicle-neutral at a time when OnStar became available on 29 different GM models."
The six commercials are as follows:
#"Batcave" (AKA "Batman & Alfred") -
Alfred
Alfred may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series
* ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne
* ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák
*"Alfred (Interlu ...
, Batman's butler, introduces him to OnStar, saying that the addition will increase safety in the Batmobile.
#"Joker Face" - Batman chases
the Joker
The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book ''Batman (comic book), Bat ...
through the streets of Gotham. Joker pushes a button to erect a barricade that Batman collides with, deploying his airbag. He instructs the OnStar representative to get the police to set up a roadblock, and catches him.
#"Minor Setbacks" (AKA "Batman Uses OnStar") - Batman calls OnStar to unlock his door and to find the closest
gasoline
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...
station.
[ClipLand credits for "Minor Setbacks"](_blank)
Accessed April 6, 2008
#"Batmobile" (AKA "Batman & Gordon") - Batman uses OnStar to call
Commissioner Gordon
James W. "Jim" Gordon, Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane as an ally of Batman, the character deb ...
to tell him he is coming.
#"Hot Date" -
The Penguin
The Penguin is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character made his first appearance in ''Detective Comics'' #58 (December 1941) and was created by Bob ...
is chasing Batman, so Batman uses OnStar to call
Vicki Vale
Victoria Vale (usually called "Vicki" or "Vickie") is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the character debuted in ' ...
to tell her that he will be late.
[Wakelin, Simon]
"Batman Returns for GM OnStar"
. Boardsmag.com. May 24, 2001.
#"Riddle Me This" (AKA "Riddler") - Batman accesses his mail through the OnStar Virtual Advisor. The computer reads aloud the message that the villain the
Riddler
The Riddler (Edward Nigma, later Edward Nygma or Edward Nashton) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, and debuted in ''Detective Comics'' #140 in Oc ...
has sent: "What do a river and money have in common?" Batman deduces that the Riddler is heading to Gotham Bank and catches him.
Tie-ins
Comics
Two special edition Batman comic books were released in conjunction with the ads. The first one was a five-page story featuring the Riddler. The second one was an eight-page story featuring
Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Dave Wood, Sheldon Moldoff and Bob Kane, and first appeared in ''Batman'' #121 in February 1959 as the ice-based criminal Mr. Ze ...
.
In addition to print comics, OnStar and DC Comics created a "state-of-the-art animated interactive comic for the Web, at www.onstar.com," which let readers "shape their experience by using Personal Calling and OnStar Virtual Advisor at critical moments in the story."
Both
Bruce Thomas
Bruce Thomas (born 14 August 1948 in Stockton-on-Tees, England) is an English rock bass guitarist, best known as bassist for the Attractions; the band formed in 1977 to back Elvis Costello in concert and on record.
In addition to his work ...
and
Curtis Armstrong
Curtis Armstrong (born November 27, 1953) is an American actor and singer best known for playing the role of Booger in the ''Revenge of the Nerds'' movies, Herbert Viola on the TV series ''Moonlighting'', Miles Dalby in the film '' Risky Busines ...
reprised their roles from the live-action ads, voicing Batman and the Joker respectively in the "webisodes".
Trading cards
An oversize, (when separated at the perforations) trading card set was distributed at trade shows to promote OnStar's vehicle services, using their licensed Batman "sponsor". They were issued as perforated 8-card strips, sealed with tape (and the tape seal cannot be removed without damaging the cards). The back of the cards describe OnStar's services as well as providing contact information. They also give a brief history of Batman from his debut in 1939 through his adding new OnStar tools to the Batmobile in the year 2002.
Sweepstakes
As part of the ad-campaign, OnStar and DC offered (from May 31, 2001) an online sweepstakes chance to win "a walk-on role in the next Batman movie," which was then "still in the planning stages," albeit "with no firm dates set yet."
Impact
A survey showed that 80% of new vehicle owners recognized the brand due to the ''Batman OnStar'' commercials.
New activations of OnStar service jumped 169% to nearly 300,000 subscribers between January and June 2000. Renewal rate of the service also increased from 32% to 58%.
Edward Baig said that the commercials set "lofty expectations" for OnStar service in his review.
Further estimates suggest an even higher increase, suggesting that the commercials raised OnStar's customer base by a factor of ten:
:"In the year 2000, OnStar expanded its customer base from 100,000 to 1 million subscribers. That dramatic growth comes thanks in part to branding efforts that use a comic book character dating back to the 1930s: Batman and his Batmobile."
["Wheels Online", by Steve Ditlea, March 1, 2001. pp3-6](_blank)
Accessed April 6, 2008
Awards
The first four commercials won a Silver Award for "Creative Arts - Visual Effects" in the 2000 International Automotive Advertising Awards.
The campaign was further awarded the Detroit Creative Directors Council Golden Caddy for Best in Show.
The "Batman" campaign also received the Golden Medal and Best of Category awards in the New York Festival's Advertising/Marketing Effectiveness Awards in 2001.
2000 Golden Effie in the Automotive-Aftermarket Category
Accessed September 13, 2017
See also
*Batmobile (1989)
The Batmobile is the fictional car driven by the superhero Batman. Housed in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is both a heavily armored tactical assault vehicle and a personalized custom-built pursuit and ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Batman Onstar Commercials
OnStar commercials
American television commercials
Batman (1989 film series)
Films directed by Andrew Davis
Short films based on DC Comics
2000s television commercials