Sci-fi movie ads No.9: Robocop

Martin Anderson

Published on Jan 5, 2009

Paul Verhoeven wanted to emphasise conspicuous consumption in his SF satire, and ordered that ED-209 be rigged up with lots of pointless hydraulics and chrome, and clearly engineered for display rather than efficiency. This ad for an 8.2mpg car emphasises its huge presence over its efficiency, and is believed to be a jab at the gas-guzzling Pontiac 6000. The car in the Robocop commercial was engineered from a 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass four-door sedan.