Tag Archives: entertainment

Volkswagen

Volkswagen Teams Up with Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment for Global Release of “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” Movie Featuring the VW ID.4

Volkswagen is thrilled to announce its collaboration with Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment for the worldwide launch of “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” Set to premiere globally starting March 27, this extremely anticipated blockbuster showcases Volkswagen’s progressive ID.4 mannequin in a groundbreaking cinematic expertise. In conjunction with the movie’s launch, Volkswagen Headquarter and Volkswagen Japan, the place Kong has turn out to be a worldwide popular culture icon, have co-developed partaking short-form content material for social media, additional solidifying the model’s partnership with the movie whereas reinforcing its dedication to international electrification.

The preliminary teaser trailer for “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” unveiled in December 2023, has garnered over 100 million views. With the extremely anticipated launch simply across the nook, audiences worldwide have only some days to attend till the movie hits cinemas internationally starting March 27 and in North America March 29, adopted by its premiere in Germany on April 4. Alongside the anticipated return of Rebecca Hall, Bryan Tyree Henry and Kaylee Hottle, a brand new solid member has emerged: the Volkswagen ID.4, becoming a member of its human and monstrous counterparts on-screen.

Imelda Labbé, Member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management liable for Sales, Marketing and After Sales, stated: “At first glance one might wonder what the link is between an edge-of-your-seat, adrenaline-filled Monsterverse movie of such epic proportions, and the innovative, intuitive safe haven that is the ID.4. But it’s all about feelings, and emotive storytelling. As well as all the fast-paced monster action, the film has plenty of playful and heartwarming moments that really speak to us at Volkswagen. We collaborated closely with our Volkswagen Japan team on production to take the all-electric ID.4 closer to a broad group of customers in Japan and fire their enthusiasm for sustainable mobility.”

“In our exhilarating partnership with Volkswagen for ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,’ we’re thrilled to showcase the ID.4’s electrifying presence on display screen. This collaboration merges cutting-edge automotive innovation with the epic scale and growth of our Monsterverse world, bringing new dimensions to our beloved characters and tales whereas working alongside an iconic model,“ stated James Ngo, Executive Vice President, Franchise Management at Legendary Entertainment.

Twinkle within the Eye: Three items of content material for Social Media
To add an additional twist to the combo, the worldwide Volkswagen advertising staff and Volkswagen Japan partnered with Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment to prepare dinner up some social media magic. Enter three cleverly crafted clips infused with refined, light-hearted humor: “The Awakening,” “Need A Charge,” and “Coffee Run.” Set throughout the monstrous universe of “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” these snippets supply a pleasant peek into the connection between the Volkswagen ID.4 and these iconic Titans. Not solely do they showcase the compact SUV’s efficiency and technical prowess, however additionally they weave in some heartwarming storytelling.

Japanese actress and social media sensation Chikako Fukuyama, finest recognized
for her function on the favored Japanese actuality present “Terrace House: Aloha State,” is taking the helm of this tradition content material sequence.

Relevance of worldwide advertising cooperations
Marketing collaborations are essential for rising consciousness of manufacturers and their merchandise, multiplying quick, medium and particularly long-term attain by way of earned media and to deal with a broad goal group in an progressive and environment friendly means.
By putting the Volkswagen ID.4 within the movie, an emotional storytelling connection is created that appeals to the altering client behaviors.

Repositioning of communication actions
Meanwhile, Volkswagen has been busy forging partnerships within the movie business as a part of its new model positioning. Recent collaborations embody “Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir – The Movie” from ZAG and Mediawan Kids & Family; Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania;” and the Disney+ Star Wars restricted sequence “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” “Andor,” and “Mandalorian.”

Background Information

About “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”
The epic battle continues! Legendary Pictures’ cinematic Monsterverse follows up the explosive showdown of “Godzilla vs. Kong” with an all-new journey that pits the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla towards a colossal undiscovered menace hidden inside our world, difficult their very existence—and our personal. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” delves additional into the histories of those Titans and their origins, in addition to the mysteries of Skull Island and past.

Once once more on the helm is director Adam Wingard. The movie stars Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns and Fala Chen.

The screenplay is by Terry Rossio and Simon Barrett and Jeremy Slater, from a narrative by Rossio & Wingard & Barrett, primarily based on the character “Godzilla” owned and created by TOHO Co., Ltd. The movie is produced by Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric Mcleod, Thomas Tull and Brian Rogers. The government producers are Wingard, Jen Conroy, Jay Ashenfelter, Yoshimitsu Banno, and Kenji Okuhira. Once once more, Wingard is collaborating with director of images Ben Seresin, manufacturing designer Tom Hammock, editor Josh Schaeffer, costume designer Emily Seresin.The composers are Tom Holkenborg and Antonio Di Iorio.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Present a Legendary Pictures Production, A Film By Adam Wingard, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” It is slated for launch nationwide solely in theaters and IMAX on March 29, 2024 and starting 27 March 2024 internationally, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures besides in Japan, the place the movie can be distributed by Toho Co., Ltd and in mainland China, the place will probably be distributed by Legendary East.

About the VW ID.4
The ID.4 is the primary all-electric compact SUV from the Volkswagen model. It is produced and supplied on the market in China, the USA, and Europe and, positioned as a world automotive by the model, supplied on the market in main markets worldwide. . The modular electrical drive matrix (MEB) types the technical spine of Volkswagen’s international electrical offensive. In the case of the ID.4, the design of the MEB platform permits for a really spacious inside. At the identical time, the automotive impresses with its robust driving efficiency and most ranges of as much as 512 kilometers or 531 kilometers (the 2 variations within the WLTP cycle). Its quick-charging functionality with as much as 135 kW helps it deal with lengthy distances.

News, Technology

Billy Joel’s New Music Video Uses AI To Turn Back Time, But Something Doesn’t Look Right

This will not be the primary time that the leisure business has performed with AI, however in Joel’s case, he turned an unsuspecting sufferer previous to his nostalgia-heavy music video dropping. Merely days earlier than Joel appeared on the Grammy stage, the Houston Fox-owned station played a track that was claimed to be Joel’s newest monitor. However, it turned out to be an AI-generated monitor that was educated on Joel’s voice, and the lyrics had been additionally written by AI software program. “Joel took 17 years to write that song and we took an hour,” stated one of many podcasters behind the stunt. Joel has but to touch upon the drama that unfolded earlier than his actual track was formally launched.

Joel’s music video is a glance into the gorgeous issues that may come out of AI deployment, and all of the perils that include it. Disney not too long ago revealed an AI instrument referred to as FRAN that may de-age or speed up the getting old impact on an actor’s face with uncanny accuracy and a pure really feel to it. In the Marvel blockbuster “Captain America: Civil War,” we received a look at a de-aged Robert Downey Jr. with a clean-shaved wrinkle-free face. But the identical behemoth that’s Marvel also courted flak for using AI to create art work for one in all its TV reveals at the price of risking inventive artists’ jobs.

Motorsport

Automakers found to be inadequate in protecting personal data and privacy

In today’s world, cars are equipped with advanced technology that allows them to function like computers on wheels. They offer access to apps, entertainment, and even the internet. However, this convenience comes at a cost, as these modern vehicles have the ability to collect personal data about their users’ activities and whereabouts. A recent study conducted by the Mozilla Foundation reveals that automakers are not doing enough to ensure the privacy and security of this data.

The non-profit organization investigated 25 car brands and assigned all of them its “Privacy Not Included” warning label, indicating a lack of data management and security practices. The study went so far as to label cars as the worst category of products it had ever reviewed. The findings were published in a series of articles discussing personal data and privacy in vehicles.

Which Cars Have Android Auto Or Apple CarPlay

The study revealed that all car brands surveyed collect excessive amounts of personal data. In addition to the necessary data for operating the vehicle, information about how people use their cars, their driving speed, locations visited, and other details were found to be collected. Auto companies also obtain data through connected services used in the vehicle, including third-party sources like Google, Meta, or Sirius XM.

According to the study, 84 percent of car companies share or sell customer data to third parties, which may include service providers, data brokers, and other businesses. Furthermore, 56 percent of automakers stated that they share information with government or law enforcement officials in response to court orders, warrants, or informal requests.

The Mozilla Foundation discovered that most car companies offer limited or no control over personal data. Allegedly, 92 percent of the surveyed companies either do not allow or make it extremely difficult for individuals to delete their personal information. Renault and Dacia were mentioned as exceptions, but it should be noted that these two brands fall under Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy laws.

The Mozilla Foundation spent over 600 hours researching the privacy practices of car brands. However, it was unable to obtain a complete understanding of how consumer data is used or shared. The foundation reached out to all the car companies involved in the study but received responses only from Ford, Honda, and Mercedes-Benz. Even with these responses, the organization’s questions remained unanswered.

Motor1.com has also contacted automakers for their comments on the study. Stellantis, one of the companies contacted, responded with a statement refuting some of the claims made in the study and asserting their commitment to data privacy.

“Multiple claims in this document are incorrect as they relate to Stellantis brands. We carefully and diligently consider data privacy and act accordingly. Customers with questions may call our Customer Care center.”

This article will be updated with any additional statements from automakers as they become available.

Motorsport

Watching Classic Cars Crushed: Oddly Satisfying or Heartbreaking?

At first glance, the idea of witnessing old vehicles being crushed may not sound like entertainment. However, there is something oddly satisfying and even soothing about it, like popping bubble wrap. This video features a Buick Invicta, Ford Tempo, and F-150 meeting their fate with a crusher.

Yet, a part of us also wants to shout, “Noooooo!” There’s a sense of dread before the metal starts popping and crunching. It’s like watching a horror movie, anticipating the gruesome demise of those teenagers or the heartbreak of saying goodbye to a beloved pet.

The first vehicle to be crushed is a 1980s Ford F-150, a workhorse with a long bed that has seen better days. It has a bent rear fender, as if it collided with a tree, and the frame is likely damaged. The roof and front fender are also banged up. While older Ford trucks have become collectible, this one is beyond saving and meets its end in the crusher.

Next is an early 90s Dodge Caravan or Plymouth Voyager. The only standout feature of this van is the graphics on its side, which would be admired by Radwood enthusiasts. However, rust has taken its toll on the underside, and the presence of a space-saver spare tire on the front axle suggests financial struggles. It too meets its demise.

The most intriguing vehicle is a 1959 Buick Invicta four-door hardtop. This mid-range model from Buick’s lineup in the early 1960s boasted Space Age styling reminiscent of the Jetsons. However, it is not as sought after by collectors as the coupe, convertible, or Estate station wagon. Like the other vehicles, it is in such a deteriorated state that saving it is not feasible unless it held exceptional value like a Chevy Chevelle SS454 or Shelby GT500.

Last but not least is a 1990s Ford Tempo, a vehicle largely forgotten today but once a common sight on US roads. It was often a first car for many teen drivers, offering economical performance, albeit uninspiring. Some models even had a sunroof and manual transmission. In this video, the Tempo sedan is stacked on top of the Invicta and meets the same fate.

At the end of the process, all that remains is a pile of compressed metal, no taller than the crushed vehicles themselves. While we don’t know where these scrapped cars will ultimately end up, it would be fitting if they were recycled into new appliances—symbolic of their previous lives before meeting their demise.