Abraham Maslow theorized that humanity has a hierarchy of seven needs; however, he didn’t anticipate an unlikely 8th.

Meet the luxury Audi Q8 SUV, brought to you by Ole Peters of Interrogate in a stunning new campaign out of JWT Beijing. Against the moody volcanic landscape of far northwest China, Peters captures the Q8 in all its glory, bright against the bleak and rugged terrain. Peters’ work is always visually complex, showcasing his ability to smoothly switch between live-action and CGI components, and this ad is no exception.

“Visual development is the most important part of the project,” says Peters. “It’s such an intense and extremely creative phase, which is why I love it so much. Everything imaginable can be made a visible reality.” Peters’ VFX background gives him a unique perspective when it comes to creating atmosphere and building vast worlds. Due to the tight timing, Peters and his crew had to quickly decide what would be shot in-camera and which components would be rendered completely in CGI. Remarkably, the majority of the spot was filmed practically, apart from the scene with the diver, the whale, and the fish.

It’s been said that car commercials, in particular, can reveal how strong the collaboration between director, agency and client is. A strong sense of trust on all sides will shine through in the finished product, as is the case with the exhilarating spot that Peters has crafted here. While the film morphed on several occasions during production, tackling challenges such as the development of visually appropriate, natural, and on-brand metaphors for all seven levels in life’s pursuit, the team remained extremely focused and efficient, delivering an impressively striking advertisement in the end.

The thrilling result entertains and inspires, transforming the audience’s beliefs about the pursuit of life – up to level Q8.