A ''Wackel-Elvis'' (, "Wobbly Elvis") is a small, hanging dashboard figure designed to resemble musician and actor

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

. A

prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototype ...

of the figure was first introduced by the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

automobile manufacturer

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. The origins of the compa ...

in a series of television commercials which were broadcast in several

European countries The list below includes all entities falling even partially under any of the various common definitions of Europe, geographical or political. Fifty generally recognised sovereign states, Kosovo with limited, but substantial, international reco ...

. The commercials were produced by the

advertising agency An advertising agency, often referred to as a creative agency or an ad agency, is a business dedicated to creating, planning, and handling advertising and sometimes other forms of promotion and marketing for its clients. An ad agency is generall ...

Saatchi & Saatchi Saatchi and Saatchi is a British multinational communications and advertising agency network with 114 offices in 76 countries and over 6,500 staff. It was founded in 1970 and is currently headquartered in London. The parent company of the agency ...

in 2001 to promote Audi's new continuously variable "''

multitronic Multitronic is a stepless transmission (mechanics), transmission launched by Audi, AUDI AG in late 1999, jointly developed and manufactured by LuK. The capitalization used is multitronic (spelled by Audi with a lower-case leading 'm') and is a ...

''" 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 A bobblehead, also known by nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible figurine. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to the body by a ...

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 In geometry, a Cartesian coordinate system (, ) in a plane is a coordinate system that specifies each point uniquely by a pair of real numbers called ''coordinates'', which are the signed distances to the point from two fixed perpendicular o ...

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 Hawaii ''Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite'' is a concert starring Elvis Presley that took place at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu International Center and was broadcast live via satellite to audiences in Asia and Oceania on January 14, 197 ...

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 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 is a fictitious force in Newtonian mechanics (also called an "inertial" or "pseudo" force) that appears to act on all objects when viewed in a rotating frame of reference. It appears to be directed radially away from the axi ...

, causing the figure to spin back and forth around its

. 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 or injected may refer to: Science and technology * Injective function, a mathematical function mapping distinct arguments to distinct values * Injection (medicine), insertion of liquid into the body with a syringe * Injection, in broadca ...

semi-rigid

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

pieces constitute the circa 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 The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an anatomical trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis or pelvic skeleton). ...

area and both legs molded as one piece. At the

waist The waist is the part of the Human abdomen, abdomen between the rib cage and Hip (anatomy), hips. Normally, it is the narrowest part of the torso. ''Waistline'' refers to the horizontal line where the waist is narrowest, or to the general appe ...

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,

automobile manufacturer

aired television commercials in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

to promote their new electronically controlled continuously variable (or stepless) "''

''" transmission. The

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

branch of

, headquartered in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, produced the Audi commercials featuring an Elvis impersonator whose car had broken down.Fans Waiting in Line for Release of Wackel-Elvis
- November 6, 2001, ''Die Welt'' (German) The Elvis impersonator and his Wackel-Elvis were picked up by a friendly fellow driver - played by German actress

Karina Krawczyk Karina Krawczyk (born 5 August 1971) 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 i ...

- 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.Audi Wackel-Elvis commercial (2001, British version)
/ref>Audi Wackel-Elvis commercial (2001, German version)
/ref>Audi Wackel-Elvis commercial (2001, French version)
/ref> In some of the commercials an Elvis Presley

sound-alike A sound-alike is a sound recording, recording intended to imitate the sound of a popular record, the style of a popular recording artist, or a current musical trend; the term also refers to the artists who perform on such recordings. In the voice ...

version of the 1965

Roger Miller Roger Dean Miller Sr. (January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992) was an American singer-songwriter, widely known for his honky-tonk-influenced novelty songs and his chart-topping country hits " King of the Road", "Dang Me", and " England Swing ...

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.

Commercial product

The Audi commercials featured a

prototypical A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and software programming. A prototype is generally used to ...

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 (; Austro-Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian: ) is an Independent city#Germany, independent city on the Danube, in Upper Bavaria, with 142,308 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2023). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan ...

, Germany. Wackel-Elvis is a product officially licensed by

Elvis Presley Enterprises Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) is a corporate entity created by "The Elvis Presley Trust" to conduct business and manage its assets, including Graceland.hologram Holography is a technique that allows a wavefront to be recorded and later reconstructed. It is best known as a method of generating three-dimensional images, and has a wide range of other uses, including data storage, microscopy, and interf ...

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 A counterfeit is a fake or unauthorized replica of a genuine product, such as money, documents, designer items, or other valuable goods. Counterfeiting generally involves creating an imitation of a genuine item that closely resembles the original ...

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 Much''. Another video shows a car ride through the Elbe Tunnel beneath the

River Elbe The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

from the dashboard perspective of Wackel-Elvis. A recent performance shows Wackel Elvis doing an off hand rendition of "Blue Suede Shoes".Wackel Elvis lives!

References

{{reflist Audi Cultural depictions of Elvis Presley Celebrity dolls de:Wackeldackel

Design

Television commercials

Commercial product

Cultural impact

See also

References