Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso, lauds ‘real drivers’ in new campaign for Vantage, created by Design Bridge and Partners

Design Bridge and Partners continues its partnership with Aston Martin, the iconic automotive company, to create the branded content campaign, ‘Engineered for Real Drivers’, that challenges perceptions of what real drivers want from a sports car and offers the Vantage as the ultimate solution to their desires.

Real drivers have never before had a car that truly meets their needs, forever being short-changed or forced in compromise. Today, with the launch of the Aston Martin Vantage, that changes. This car is singular in its design, philosophy and engineering intent, and is built for and around what real drivers want.

‘Engineered for Real Drivers’ is dramatised through the launch film, as we watch the car literally construct itself around Formula 1™ driver Fernando Alonso. It is a story of action and reaction, of a car responding to a driver’s lightest touch and the driver revelling in the response. It captures the intense thrill and sensorial experience that only a Vantage can provide.

The new Vantage represents Aston Martin at their most thrilling, the most quintessential Aston Martin sports car, perfectly balanced and intentionally engineered to allow drivers to revel at the limits of their performance. It moves the car far from its old position as the ‘baby’ Aston, and challenges consumers’ perceptions about the car and the marque.

The campaign questions everything we think we know about today’s supercars. In an era when an electric-powered four door saloon can do 0-60 faster than almost every supercar, what does straight-line acceleration really mean? Why the ongoing quest for ever-faster top-speeds when there are fewer and fewer roads where a driver would ever be able to reach them?

The orchestrated campaign first teased with a short film showing just the empty seat of the Vantage. This iconic shot was voiced over by Alonso himself, narrating a short piece on what real drivers are searching for. This was followed by a second film of Fernando sat in the seat himself, voicing his frustrations with the automotive world. And finally, the launch film shows the solution to these driving frustrations by bringing to life the creation of the Vantage.

Driving performance has little to do with cold, hard metrics and almost everything to do with the evocative and emotional experience provided by a car engineered to be driven at the limit. The Aston Martin Vantage.

“We worked closely with Aston Martin designers, engineers, and precision drivers to ensure every moment conveyed the thrill of the drive authentically. Working with our CGI partner, we captured and featured Fernando Alonso’s driving reactions and created a racetrack comprising of real corners from some of the world’s most famous tracks. The relentless pursuit for accuracy has resulted in a unique campaign that we are very proud of.”

— Stuart Radford, ECD and Sam Hall, Creative Director from Design Bridge and Partners

“We utilised advanced camera motion tracking to capture and amplify realistic camera movements, blending traditional filmmaking with cutting-edge digital artistry. This approach not only brought authenticity to our digital cinematography but also pushed the boundaries of visual storytelling. Every shot was meticulously crafted, with each curve of the road shaped under precise art direction, showcasing our commitment to detail and innovation in digital filmmaking.”

— Gevorg Karensky, Director & Creative and David Karapetyan, Managing Director from Bipolar Studio