The Audi kite commercial was produced to highlight the accurate driving characteristics of the new Audi A5 and the commercial ends with the tagline Driving Redesigned. And as always with the Audi commercials it's not a trick this stunt was actually performed for real, just as with the famous ski jump.
“This is not a trick, all the images are real,” says Jagoda Becic, Head of Advertising at Audi. “Authenticity,” she says, “was the essential requirement. If it hadn't been possible to navigate the kite by car in reality, then we wouldn't have implemented the idea.” For Gerhard Kiefer, who manages all Audi promotional films, it was also clear from the beginning that: “Honesty is a point of honour. We couldn't have produced well-known adverts such as the ski jump or the ‘wakeboarder' if our vehicle technology had not been equal to the task. This also holds true for the stunt kite scenes.”
Getting the kite flying was a bit trickier then expected; tests were carried out with two Audi models towing a stunt kite on an airfield in Manching, Bavaria. “That's when we realized that we could not just start driving and expect the kite to fly straight away,” says Kiefer.
After substantial testing of speed, wind conditions, size and materials of the kite as well as length and thickness of the ropes the team was able to get the kite of the ground.
20-year-old Stunt kite pilot Marcel Mehler a multiple German champion and European vice-champion in kiting was hired to help with experience in kitting and finally ended up driving one of the Audi A5.
