Wackel-Elvis
Encyclopedia
Wackel-Elvis (ˈvakəlˈɛlvɪs, "Wobbly Elvis") is a circa 6 inches (15.2 cm) tall, hanging dashboard figure designed to resemble musician and actor Elvis Presley
. A prototype
of the figure was first introduced by the German
automobile manufacturer Audi
in a series of television commercials which were broadcast in several European countries
. The commercials were produced by the advertising agency
Saatchi & Saatchi
in 2001 to promote Audi's new continuously variable
"multitronic
" transmission. Due to a high demand by Elvis fans after publication of the commercials, 15,000 Wackel-Elvis figures were produced and sold at the Audi factory outlet store.
Different from the design found in most conventional bobblehead dolls, not the head of the figure nods or wobbles on an otherwise static figure. Instead, the Wackel-Elvis figure is suspended from an elastic band connected to a suction cup attached to the windshield or rear window of a vehicle. The waist and left shoulder of the figure are equipped with flexible metal spring joints while its right foot stands on a pointed nail. This design prompts the figure to swing its hips, pivot around its vertical axis and shake its left arm up and down while the vehicle is in motion, creating an effect that resembles Elvis Presley performing on stage.
television satellite broadcast. Other than most conventional bobblehead dolls, in which a flexible neck joint connects a wobbling head to a static figure that rests on a surface, Wackel-Elvis is attached to the inside of the windshield or rear window of a vehicle. The figure is suspended from a suction cup connecting to an adjustable elastic string which, at its other end, is attached to a loop on top of the head of the figure. On a sharply pointed nail, protruding approximately 0.2 inches (5 mm) from the sole of the right foot of the figure, Wackel-Elvis stands on top of the dashboard or rear cargo cover. With the vehicle in motion, the left arm stretched away from the body of the figure produces centrifugal force
, causing the figure to spin back and forth around its vertical axis. While spinning, the foot of the figure is held in place by the nail and its head held in place being suspended from the string. The left arm and hip of Wackel-Elvis wobble consistent with the vehicle motion, creating the illusion of Elvis Presley performing or dancing on stage.
Four injection molded
semi-rigid plastic
pieces constitute the circa 6 inches (15.2 cm) tall figure which features printed accents on the dress and hand-painted details on hands, face and neck, hair, sunglasses, microphone and inserts in the trouser legs. Molded as one piece, the upper body of the figure including a static head is the most prominent part. The right arm with hand and microphone is also molded as one piece and attached to the upper body piece at the right shoulder by a snap-in joint with a square connector which keeps the right arm of the figure in a static position relative to the upper body piece. The lower body piece consists of the pelvic area and both legs molded as one piece. At the waist
of the figure, the upper and lower body pieces are connected to each other by a flexible metal spring joint, as are the left arm piece and the upper body piece at the left shoulder. Both threaded connectors of the spring joint at the left shoulder of the figure are recessed, hiding the spring mechanism of the joint. The threaded connector of the lower body piece protrudes upward but the spring joint mechanism at the waist of the figure is concealed by a connector deeply recessed under the waist and belt portion of the jumpsuit which constitutes the bottom portion of the upper body piece.
Due to safety concerns, the pointed nail in the right foot of the figure was removed from some exported versions of Wackel-Elvis. However, the missing nail can be replaced by nails found in common plastic pushpins after the plastic surrounding the nail has been removed.
automobile manufacturer Audi
aired television commercials in Europe
to promote their new electronically controlled continuously variable
(or stepless) "multitronic
" transmission. The Frankfurt, Germany
branch of advertising agency
Saatchi & Saatchi
, headquartered in New York City
, produced the Audi commercials featuring an Elvis impersonator whose car had broken down. The Elvis impersonator and his Wackel-Elvis were picked up by a friendly fellow driver - played by German actress Karina Krawczyk
- in an Audi equipped with the new transmission. The punch line of the commercials was that due to the lack of shifting motion while accelerating with the continuously variable transmission the Audi was equipped with, the Wackel-Elvis dashboard figure did not wobble as it had done in the Elvis impersonator's car before it broke down, causing disappointment for the impersonator.
In some of the commercials an Elvis Presley sound alike
version of the 1965 Roger Miller
song King of the Road
was used as background music. Another set of the series of commercials featured a generic Elvis Presley sound alike title as background song. In some of the spots the Elvis impersonator was offered a ride in a silver colored Audi sedan. In other versions he was picked up by the same fellow driver in a silver colored Audi wagon. Close to the end of the commercials Wackel-Elvis, immobilized by the stepless transmission, was prodded in the belly to initiate the wobbling motion in the Audi automobile. In some of the commercials in the series, the stub was executed by the female driver, in others by the Elvis impersonator. While flagging down the fellow driver after the breakdown of his car, in some versions of the commercials the Elvis impersonator supported his gesture with a sharp and short whistle. In other versions of the spot he remained quiet when gesturing the driver of the car to stop.
Wackel-Elvis, initially intended for use in the television commercials only. Unlike the eventual commercial dashboard figure, the Wackel-Elvis featured in the Audi commercials was presented with blonde hair and wearing a golden jumpsuit; the prototype was designed with more pronounced bow legs than the commercial product. Due to high demand of viewers after the spots aired in several European countries, an initial production run of 15,000 figures was sold out quickly. Another 150,000 Wackel-Elvis dashboard figures were mass produced in China to satisfy the high demand for the product. In 2001, Wackel-Elvis was sold for DEM 15.60 (EUR 7.98 or ca. USD 11.00) in the Audi factory outlet store in Ingolstadt
, Germany.
Wackel-Elvis is a product officially licensed by Elvis Presley Enterprises
(E. P. E.). The license is documented by the "E. P. E. Official Product" logo on the side and a hologram on the front of the retail box. A portrait of Elvis Presley and an image of his signature are reproduced on the front of the retail box. Counterfeit
versions of Wackel-Elvis in a golden dress, not licensed by E. P. E., were available on the market shortly after the release of the official product to participate in its commercial popularity. The retail box of the counterfeit figure did not bear the "E. P. E. Official Product" logo nor the hologram.
. Another video shows a car ride through the Elbe Tunnel beneath the River Elbe
in Hamburg
, Germany
from the dashboard perspective of Wackel-Elvis.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. A prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
of the figure was first introduced by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
automobile manufacturer Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
in a series of television commercials which were broadcast in several European countries
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The commercials were produced by the advertising agency
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
Saatchi & Saatchi
Saatchi & Saatchi
Saatchi & Saatchi is a global advertising agency network with 140 offices in 80 countries and over 6,500 staff. It was founded in London in 1970 but now headquartered in New York. The parent company of the agency group was known as Saatchi & Saatchi PLC from 1976 to 1994, was listed on the London...
in 2001 to promote Audi's new continuously variable
Continuously variable transmission
A continuously variable transmission is a transmission that can change steplessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios between maximum and minimum values. This contrasts with other mechanical transmissions that offer a fixed number of gear ratios...
"multitronic
Multitronic
multitronic is a stepless transmission launched by AUDI AG in late 1999, jointly developed and manufactured by LuK.Based on the principles of continuously variable transmission popularised by DAF, multitronic offers a stepless automatic transmission in which the ratio between the input shaft and...
" transmission. Due to a high demand by Elvis fans after publication of the commercials, 15,000 Wackel-Elvis figures were produced and sold at the Audi factory outlet store.
Different from the design found in most conventional bobblehead dolls, not the head of the figure nods or wobbles on an otherwise static figure. Instead, the Wackel-Elvis figure is suspended from an elastic band connected to a suction cup attached to the windshield or rear window of a vehicle. The waist and left shoulder of the figure are equipped with flexible metal spring joints while its right foot stands on a pointed nail. This design prompts the figure to swing its hips, pivot around its vertical axis and shake its left arm up and down while the vehicle is in motion, creating an effect that resembles Elvis Presley performing on stage.
Design
Wackel-Elvis was designed to portray musician and actor Elvis Presley around the time of the early 1970s. The dress of Wackel-Elvis resembles the white jumpsuit Elvis Presley wore in the 1973 Aloha from HawaiiAloha from Hawaii
Aloha from Hawaii is a music concert that was headlined by Elvis Presley, and was broadcast live via satellite on January 14, 1973. It is the most watched broadcast by an individual entertainer in television history, viewed by an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide. The concert took place at the...
television satellite broadcast. Other than most conventional bobblehead dolls, in which a flexible neck joint connects a wobbling head to a static figure that rests on a surface, Wackel-Elvis is attached to the inside of the windshield or rear window of a vehicle. The figure is suspended from a suction cup connecting to an adjustable elastic string which, at its other end, is attached to a loop on top of the head of the figure. On a sharply pointed nail, protruding approximately 0.2 inches (5 mm) from the sole of the right foot of the figure, Wackel-Elvis stands on top of the dashboard or rear cargo cover. With the vehicle in motion, the left arm stretched away from the body of the figure produces centrifugal force
Centrifugal force
Centrifugal force can generally be any force directed outward relative to some origin. More particularly, in classical mechanics, the centrifugal force is an outward force which arises when describing the motion of objects in a rotating reference frame...
, causing the figure to spin back and forth around its vertical axis. While spinning, the foot of the figure is held in place by the nail and its head held in place being suspended from the string. The left arm and hip of Wackel-Elvis wobble consistent with the vehicle motion, creating the illusion of Elvis Presley performing or dancing on stage.
Four injection molded
Injection molding
Injection molding is a manufacturing process for producing parts from both thermoplastic and thermosetting plastic materials. Material is fed into a heated barrel, mixed, and forced into a mold cavity where it cools and hardens to the configuration of the cavity...
semi-rigid plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
pieces constitute the circa 6 inches (15.2 cm) tall figure which features printed accents on the dress and hand-painted details on hands, face and neck, hair, sunglasses, microphone and inserts in the trouser legs. Molded as one piece, the upper body of the figure including a static head is the most prominent part. The right arm with hand and microphone is also molded as one piece and attached to the upper body piece at the right shoulder by a snap-in joint with a square connector which keeps the right arm of the figure in a static position relative to the upper body piece. The lower body piece consists of the pelvic area and both legs molded as one piece. At the waist
Waist
The waist is the part of the abdomen between the rib cage and hips. On proportionate people, the waist is the narrowest part of the torso....
of the figure, the upper and lower body pieces are connected to each other by a flexible metal spring joint, as are the left arm piece and the upper body piece at the left shoulder. Both threaded connectors of the spring joint at the left shoulder of the figure are recessed, hiding the spring mechanism of the joint. The threaded connector of the lower body piece protrudes upward but the spring joint mechanism at the waist of the figure is concealed by a connector deeply recessed under the waist and belt portion of the jumpsuit which constitutes the bottom portion of the upper body piece.
Due to safety concerns, the pointed nail in the right foot of the figure was removed from some exported versions of Wackel-Elvis. However, the missing nail can be replaced by nails found in common plastic pushpins after the plastic surrounding the nail has been removed.
Television commercials
In 2001, GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
automobile manufacturer Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
aired television commercials in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to promote their new electronically controlled continuously variable
Continuously variable transmission
A continuously variable transmission is a transmission that can change steplessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios between maximum and minimum values. This contrasts with other mechanical transmissions that offer a fixed number of gear ratios...
(or stepless) "multitronic
Multitronic
multitronic is a stepless transmission launched by AUDI AG in late 1999, jointly developed and manufactured by LuK.Based on the principles of continuously variable transmission popularised by DAF, multitronic offers a stepless automatic transmission in which the ratio between the input shaft and...
" transmission. The Frankfurt, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
branch of advertising agency
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
Saatchi & Saatchi
Saatchi & Saatchi
Saatchi & Saatchi is a global advertising agency network with 140 offices in 80 countries and over 6,500 staff. It was founded in London in 1970 but now headquartered in New York. The parent company of the agency group was known as Saatchi & Saatchi PLC from 1976 to 1994, was listed on the London...
, headquartered in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, produced the Audi commercials featuring an Elvis impersonator whose car had broken down. The Elvis impersonator and his Wackel-Elvis were picked up by a friendly fellow driver - played by German actress Karina Krawczyk
Karina Krawczyk
Karina Krawczyk is a German actress and occasionally works as a fashion model.-Acting career:Karina Krawczyk speaks Polish, German, English and French fluently. She studied acting at the theater school Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France and with Ariane Mnouchkine at the „Théâtre du soleil“...
- in an Audi equipped with the new transmission. The punch line of the commercials was that due to the lack of shifting motion while accelerating with the continuously variable transmission the Audi was equipped with, the Wackel-Elvis dashboard figure did not wobble as it had done in the Elvis impersonator's car before it broke down, causing disappointment for the impersonator.
In some of the commercials an Elvis Presley sound alike
Sound alike
A sound alike is a person who is able to use their voice to closely resemble that of another person.In western culture, sound alikes find work as impersonators on television comedy programmes portraying famous individuals.-See also:...
version of the 1965 Roger Miller
Roger Miller
Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
song King of the Road
King of the Road (song)
"King of the Road" is a 1964 song written and originally recorded by country singer Roger Miller.The lyrics tell of a hobo who despite being poor revels in his freedom, describing himself humorously as the "king of the road"...
was used as background music. Another set of the series of commercials featured a generic Elvis Presley sound alike title as background song. In some of the spots the Elvis impersonator was offered a ride in a silver colored Audi sedan. In other versions he was picked up by the same fellow driver in a silver colored Audi wagon. Close to the end of the commercials Wackel-Elvis, immobilized by the stepless transmission, was prodded in the belly to initiate the wobbling motion in the Audi automobile. In some of the commercials in the series, the stub was executed by the female driver, in others by the Elvis impersonator. While flagging down the fellow driver after the breakdown of his car, in some versions of the commercials the Elvis impersonator supported his gesture with a sharp and short whistle. In other versions of the spot he remained quiet when gesturing the driver of the car to stop.
Commercial product
The Audi commercials featured a prototypicalPrototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
Wackel-Elvis, initially intended for use in the television commercials only. Unlike the eventual commercial dashboard figure, the Wackel-Elvis featured in the Audi commercials was presented with blonde hair and wearing a golden jumpsuit; the prototype was designed with more pronounced bow legs than the commercial product. Due to high demand of viewers after the spots aired in several European countries, an initial production run of 15,000 figures was sold out quickly. Another 150,000 Wackel-Elvis dashboard figures were mass produced in China to satisfy the high demand for the product. In 2001, Wackel-Elvis was sold for DEM 15.60 (EUR 7.98 or ca. USD 11.00) in the Audi factory outlet store in Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...
, Germany.
Wackel-Elvis is a product officially licensed by Elvis Presley Enterprises
Elvis Presley Enterprises
Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. is a corporate entity created by "The Elvis Presley Trust" to conduct business and manage its assets, including Graceland...
(E. P. E.). The license is documented by the "E. P. E. Official Product" logo on the side and a hologram on the front of the retail box. A portrait of Elvis Presley and an image of his signature are reproduced on the front of the retail box. Counterfeit
Counterfeit
To counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product...
versions of Wackel-Elvis in a golden dress, not licensed by E. P. E., were available on the market shortly after the release of the official product to participate in its commercial popularity. The retail box of the counterfeit figure did not bear the "E. P. E. Official Product" logo nor the hologram.
Cultural impact
Videos have been produced by fans of Wackel-Elvis which closely relate to the product. One video features an animated digitalization of Wackel-Elvis. In the animation, the digitalized figure creates the impression of Wackel-Elvis dancing to the 1956 recording of the Elvis Presley song Too muchToo Much (Elvis Presley song)
"Too Much" is a #1 song recorded in a hit version by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music in 1956. It was written by Bernard Weinman and Lee Rosenberg. It was first recorded in 1954 by Bernard Hardison on Republic Records...
. Another video shows a car ride through the Elbe Tunnel beneath the River Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
from the dashboard perspective of Wackel-Elvis.
See also
- Bobblehead
- Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
- Cultural depictions of Elvis Presley
- Saatchi & SaatchiSaatchi & SaatchiSaatchi & Saatchi is a global advertising agency network with 140 offices in 80 countries and over 6,500 staff. It was founded in London in 1970 but now headquartered in New York. The parent company of the agency group was known as Saatchi & Saatchi PLC from 1976 to 1994, was listed on the London...