Acura is debuting its new NSX supercar in a wordless, classic rock-backed 30-second commercial released on Friday.
The spot -- the car brand's first appearance at the Big Game since its 2012 ad featuring Jerry Seinfeld -- artfully showcases various design aspects of the NSX against vivid red, white and blue backgrounds and the primal vocals of Van Halen's "Running with the Devil."
The ad is entitled "What He said," and the idea behind it is that the car is better described with sounds and imagery than words alone. It was created by the agency Mullen Lowe Los Angeles, and Acura claims its the first time Van Halen has released that particular song for advertising purposes.
“We wanted to convey the excitement of the NSX to a big Super Bowl audience,” said Jon Ikeda, vice president and general manager of Acura, in a statement. “The high energy visuals are complemented by a big rock anthem, giving viewers just a taste of the emotion this new Acura supercar elicits.”
Acura -- a luxury division of Honda -- first introduced the now-discontinued original NSX 25 years ago, and it was considered a game changer for Japanese automakers at the time. The new model will feature three electric motors and a new twin-turbocharged 6-cylinder engine. Its estimated sticker price: around $150,000.
And despite Jerry Seinfeld's best efforts to get his hands on the first one in Acura's last Super Bowl ad, the company will actually be auctioning it off to charity.