From The New York Times:
Volkswagen may have retired its unwieldy “Fahrvergnügen” slogan, but a quirky new ad campaign for the struggling carmaker is once again invoking its German heritage.
Along with faux-German catch phrases (“Straight outta da Autobahn” and “Fast as schnell”), the campaign introduces Helga, a blonde in white go-go boots who demonstrates the features of the redesigned Volkswagen GTI Mk V hatchback.
“We’re going to celebrate our Germanness,” said Kerri Martin, the director of brand innovation for Volkswagen of America in Auburn Hills, Mich.
Revisiting the national origin of a brand is a technique other car companies have used with significant success. Last year, Mitsubishi Motors played up Japanese pop culture in a campaign for its redesigned Eclipse sport coupe.
The target audience for the GTI is undeniably male: Volkswagen chose to unveil the new campaign on Thursday by holding a news conference at the office of Playboy magazine in New York. Print ads for the GTI are scheduled to run in magazines like Maxim, Spin, ESPN, Wired and Autoweek.
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“In da haus?” “Straight outta. . . ?” What is this, 1992? Who’s the copywriter? Arsenio Hall?
As insanely overhyped as they are, surely Crispin is capable of something more compelling than dated cultural catchphrases and the kind of puns you’d expect to find in the pages of a CA annual circa 1983.
Don’t get me wrong: I have no doubt that they will do some brilliant work on this account that will leave the rest of us foaming at the mouth with envy. But I have to say, they’re getting off to a bit of a wobbly start.
Aside for the creative, which is questionable as Carl points out, I also question the strategy here. I grasp that German is supposed to mean “quality and performance,” but hanging they’re hat on that unspoken semi-truth seems half-baked to me.
I don’t want to buy a car becasue it’s from Sweden or Germany or Japan. I want to buy a car that meets a specific need I have, like great gas mileage or a roomy interior. For instance, I’m considering a VW Passat because I want a diesel engine (so I can run it on biodiesel).
HA HA HA HA HA
Incredibly out of touch. Not only will it not inspire their market to purchase a VW product but it will set up their customers to be mocked by their peers.
And on a side note, Mr. Burn, here in Palm Beach a German origin is a great selling point.
It’s meant to be ironic. The idea behind the GTI campaign is to lampoon the “pimp my ride” craze, where lines like “in da house” are said without a hint of aforementioned irony. This creates a satire. Which was completely lost on you, which means you don’t follow tuner culture, which means you’re not in the market, which means who cares what you think.
Hey Vic,
Thanks for straigtening this out and putting me in my place. It’s quite helpful. I wonder if you’ll be able to do the same for the rest of the dolts thinking of purchasing a VW.
I’m not in the market for a VW because I don’t “follow tuner culture?” Gosh, Vic, I hadn’t realized that Volkswagen was marketing exclusively to such a niche audience. I guess catering to such a relatively tiny demographic is one way to boost sales.
Satire or not, however, the puns still seem a bit stale and moldy – like something Fallon would’ve done 25 years ago.
Having said all that, it is a bit premature for me to dismiss Crispin’s initial campaign for VW based solely on a handful of ads. As I said in my previous post, I’m sure the rest of their work will blow us all away. Right, Vic?
Not sure why everyone is so harsh on Vic. I think his point is perfectly valid and pretty obvious. The GTI is without any doubt a niche car. It’s just one brand within the large VW brand. I think CP+B is completly in touch with who they’ve targeted with their man-centric, ultra customizable vwfeatures.com website and their anti-women, pro speed films. So with only four films it’s already obvious what the identity of the GTI is, not for me, but I’m know there are plenty of people who choose cromed out rear mirrors over their girlfriends.
So yes… they are catering to individual demographics. Next they’ll move on to the Jetta, Passat, Touareg..etc and create individual worlds for each car all under the VW brand. In my opinion this is a successful start.
Obvious? Hardly.
Every ad person (especially those employed by CP+B) knows that you never, ever get to explain your ads. They either stand on their own merit, or they fail.
….struggling car company…????
Yes – struggling is obvious – you NEVER write a niche ad to denigrate a chunk of the audience like VW did – the gals often control the purse strings… I also laugh at the little Japanese robot sitting in a german muscle(yeah, right) car telling the twixters of the boy-racer world to talk to “their fast” and tell their honeys to stop the yacking… I’ve been flying combat jets for years now, and I tell ya – VW needs to drop this “fast” issue – their “niche” of boy racers mostly Laugh at their un-savvy ads and buzz-cars that aren’t really fast. They are begging for trouble with this series of ads – and they sound desparate-
I don’t know if posters are being overly harsh on Vic, WES, but I do know one thing: Vic needs to spring for a dictionary and look the meaning of “irony” and “satire.” Whatever else those new VW ads are, they are neither ironic nor satiric.
And let’s not forget that prime-time advertising during the Olympics is NOT intended for a niche audience! Wes you’re wrong, sorry…
They were just stupid enough to go with the same inane juveniles who think a plastic burger king man is entertaining and will curry customers…
I think David’s sarcasm was right on – if you have to explain your lampoons – you really screwed up… and for those of us who “got it” and don’t need the sage wisdom of brainy wisemen – it was equally insulting – and makes VW look like a a car to never take seriously…
They went down the Beetle road and now want to be a muscle car? They tried that with the Rabbitt – what a joke that junker was!
Dave
My apologies for thinking this was obvious. What is obvious is that I’m not wrong…nor am I right. I simply have my opinions. So when we all have the facts about the success of the campaign I will gladly accept the label of being wrong or right.
It’s also obvious that CP+B is once again doing what they do best and getting a group of fighter pilots and who knows to take their time to debate the positives and negatives of a car ad. I haven’t seen many Kia Spectra posts lately.
Tschüß
Und wie ist das denn in Deutschland? Wie verkauft man Volkswagens da? Ich erinnnere wie sie Toyotas damals verkauft haben. Mit Affen.
Affengeil? hahaha- o zose germens, zey are funny bunnies.
Nichts ist unmöglich…
“VW Looks ‘Fast’ Out of the Gate”
No doubt that during the two week span of Winter Olympic coverage you will have seen a small black Gremlin-like creature with a menacing evil grin and a movie bad guy voice gracing your television screen. Say hello to…
“VW Looks ‘Fast’ Out of the Gate”
No doubt that during the two week span of Winter Olympic coverage you will have seen a small black Gremlin-like creature with a menacing evil grin and a movie bad guy voice gracing your television screen. Say hello to…
OOOOPS!
Ich erinnnere *mich*.
grammar correction.
Rechtschreiben Kurs. Immer rechts fahren.
You are certainly entitled to your opinions, WES. So is Vic, so is David — and so am I. Mine are certainly no more or less valid than your own. Only time will tell which of us is “right.”
Actually, I thought you made some pretty interesting points. And, again, I haven’t seen the commercials themselves. I was just commenting on the headlines cited in the “New York Times” article. As you say, we can’t really say whether the campaign is a success or not until all the results are in. All we can do is give our own honest reactions to the work.
However, the fact that we are all intensely debating the merits of the new VW campaign doesn’t mean that it’s any better or worse than any other car ads out there. For one thing, given the high profile of both the agency and the account, their inital work was bound to attract a lot of attention, regardless of how good it was.
For another thing, there was an even longer and more intense debate over some Saab ads on this site. There was also a lengthy thread about the new Jaguar “Gorgeous” campaign on Ernie Schneck’s blog. I personally didn’t care for either campaign, but they still provoked a strong reaction — much of it negative.
Another point to remember: This is primarily a bunch of ad people talking to one another. The true test is whether the VW campaign generates buzz among its intended audience.
You guys have been having fun while I’ve been gone. Ok, onto the cliché “needs a dictionary” jab. A German speaking ebonics, that’s not “Poignantly contrary to what was expected or intended”? Notch one for irony. And making fun of “pimp my ride” by having German’s un-pimping cars is not “…work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit”? Notch another for satire. It doesn’t have to be Jonathan Swift caliber.
Sorry, Vic, but you’re working way too hard to make your point. Those headlines are neither ironic nor satiric. They’re just puns — and not terribly original ones in my opinion. If you like them, that’s certainly your perogative. But don’t make them out to be something they’re not.
You need to see the rest of the campaign (“ünpimp mein auto”). Yes, I know, you shouldn’t need one part of the campaign to explain the other. Do I think it’s terribly clever? No. In fact, I don’t even think it’s the correct strategy. But I also don’t think CP+B got into this thinking “ok guys, let’s do OUR version of feel-good Arnold VW ads.” VW has, what, 1.6% of the US market? Arnold was charming, but we all know the relationship between selling and creativity (if it doesn’t, it’s not). Welcome to the new era of VW advertising. Feel free to complain about it for the next, I dunno, fifteen years.
I’d be surprised if CP+B lasted that long on this piece of business. So far this model launch has some of the earmarks of the Wieden & Kennedy debacle for Subaru 13 years ago. No doubt some enterprising journalist will poke a stick at the smoking ruins in a couple of years time and come out with this millennium’s “Where the Suckers Moon”. Can’t hardly wait!
My Fast doesn’t like to spend time reading boring web posts! My Fast wants to waste time driving a sports car. Any sports car.
Besides all the hype about the commercial, is the scientist Peter Stormare, the russian mafia guy from bad boys 2.
Y’all need to take a look at some car enthusiast web boards. Almost all of them have threads discussing the two VW ad series – “unpimp” and “fast” – and both are getting good reviews. Heck, those little “Fasts” are selling for many hundreds of dollars on Ebay! Will the ads generate sales? I dunno. But they’re generating conversation inside the auto ethusiast world, which can’t be all bad, right?
Goober,
Thanks for that input. I’m always amazed by what happens here when we post on a car account. What happens is the car enthusiasts come by and talk car.
Bogusky is a rock star. The team he has put together is brilliant. He is inspiration for all of us that drift in this sea of sameness that things can be more innovative in the U.S. advertising business. At least he pushes the boundaries and challenges conventional wisdom. I love the jealousy in our industry…and I am sure Alex loves it also. “The Hype” has been the key ingredient for CP+B. Everyone is just to stupid to realize the more you hype it…the more others will believe it. Rock on Bogusky.
Bogusky is a rock star???? No, he’s just a hipster doofus trying to sell me a car with his little troll doll… anyway, the market will be the final judge.
BTW-When is CP+B going to hire some more women? Rock stars like chicks… Perhaps Bogusky is just Neil French with better hair?
I can’t speak from the artistic or Ad agency point of view. All I can say is that I bought a Jetta GLX in ’97 and am salivating for a GTI right now! I hadn’t thought of a GTI as my next buy. I have had a real emotional connection w/these ads, they are funny to me, irreverent, not PC, and I like all that. Instead of a used Bimmer maybe i buy a new GTI….we shall see.
Finally an ad that is actually funny! Finally copywriting that doesn’t, well, suck. Finally an ad company with balls.
Better than the obtuse PC crap that is generally spewed from latte sipping, blasé urban hipsters. You have your hand on the pulse of tribeca, but not the rest of the country.
This ad works on so many levels. And this is besides the fact that these ads are are mentioned endlessly by my nephews (all in the GTI demographic). Further, it is also on the top views of google video.
If you don’t get the ad – you should get out of advertising.
Geez, directorx, lighten up, will ya?
If you like the new VW work, great. But to say that those who don’t “should get out of advertising” is a trifle extreme, to say the least. Can’t you express your opinion without denigrating others?
Wow – you guys are kinda into branding. People (germans included) are a hoot.
My “Fast’ just got a ticket for speeding. I’m buying one of those little dolls on eBay and sending him along for the court appearance. I’ll let ya’ know how it works out…
I own a 2003 GTI. Wasn’t really fond of the new look and style of the MKV. When I saw the set of three “unpimp my auto” I was laughing pretty hard. The commercials made me change my viewpoint of the new GTI.
I think I am a part of the GTI demographic. 28-year old male who likes fast cars. I caught on to all the “making fun” and inside jokes. And to some they won’t get the commercial at all.
I showed the commercials to a bunch of my collegues and friends. Most had positive feedbacks on the commercial. And like myself, a majority of them are part of that demographic.
I don’t think they (the ad agency or vw) need to explain themselves. I believe that instead of criticizing / praising the ad agency or the commercials, one should go out and ask the people in the demographic if they like it or not.
Americans want a car that’ll save them at the gastank. Enter VW’s advancement in diesel engines. Biodiesel, biodiesel, biodiesel! It’s a given that they ought of went the green route; german efficiency. the people’s car. c’mon guys.
This first campaign is so off, it’s just not funny; they needlessly changed their target demo to young males, 90% of which can’t afford the MkV in the first place. VW’s effort to revitalize VW in the States is in a worse spot than when they were w/ the previous agency.
Sorry for hating on you, CP!
albert
hater’s club
I think it is important to note that the original reaction to this work (by me, at least) was based on the print ad above. I think it bites. However, the TV spots allowed for the idea to come alive and helped with the “getting” of the satire that Vic so aptly pointed out.
Still, no excuse for the weak-ass print. And I’m not even saying the TV spots are that good. I’m just sayin’…
As Edgar pointed out, comedy is very effective. When he saw the TV spot, he thought it was funny enough to show to his friends. Most likely Edgar took the time to browse the internet just to find the commercial. Specifically because the ad is funny (notably to the target audience), the number of times people are viewing the ad will increase exponentially without VW paying additional out of pocket fees to run the ad again. The internet revolution has put a whole new spin on marketing techniques. It’s time to catch up, boys…
“Unpimp My Ride” was hilarious! My goodness, I absolutely appreciate a great car and good engineering (love the GLI)…….This was icing on the cake! Anyone that finds this commercial silly or takes a critical view needs to RELAX!!!! It’s just a funny commercial. Peter Stormare plays upon a stereotype of Germans. I love a good laugh. This commercial definitely grabbed my attention.
Okay, let’s not be confused. Comedy may be “effective” in getting people to laugh and talk about a spot. But the landscape is littered with hilarious, failed campaigns.
For years, many people in advertising have mistaken entertaining for selling. (That is our job – we sell stuff.) Does anyone remember the “Dick” campaign for Miller Light (Evil Beaver, etc.)? Everyone loved it and talked bout it. The campaign won a bevy of awards. Meanwhile? It drove sales into the ground and helped Fallon lose the account. Or how about the recent Snickers campaign? Made a lot of people laugh. But didn’t I just read the account has gone up for review? If laughter was a measure of success, none of the above would have happened.
By the way, Kerri Martin of VW should reconsider when she says, “We’re going to celebrate our Germanness”. These ads make fun of said “Germaness”. Are people laughing with the spokesman and this German stereotype? Or are they laughing at him?
“It’s just a funny commercial,” Lola writes. I agree. But grabbing people’s attention and persuading them to buy are very different things. It’ll be interesting to see which this campaign turns out to be.
I think the VW ad says a lot about a persons security with themselves. My gf HATES those ad’s and said she loves the ads where women dominate men (like 99% of the ads out there where men are complete dolts).
I must admit both the fast and umpimp my ride ad’s have actually made me look into VW. I may get one as before I thought of VW with the “flower” as a chick car.
Good ad VW.
These Ads are Hilarious. Hell, that German dude could sell anything. Heavy German accents and crazy antics = FUNNY. I would wager to say that if you didn’t find these ads hysterical that you have no sense of humor at all and you should seriously contemplate jumping off a bridge.
VW are selling some cars-I think this is mostly due to the raft of new models… In some ways Arnold got screwed by VW Germany… The MKV GTI and Golf have been available in other parts of the world for over a year. The Germans don’t think that Americans want to buy Golfs. The price of gas indicates otherwise. This campaign is starting to sound more like Fahrfegnueven (sp) 2.0.
BTW, the concentration camp nurse who accompanies you on your web test drive has to be the strangest thing I have seen on the net from a mainstream brand for many years.
VW are selling some cars-I think this is mostly due to the raft of new models… In some ways Arnold got screwed by VW Germany… The MKV GTI and Golf have been available in other parts of the world for over a year. The Germans don’t think that Americans want to buy Golfs. The price of gas indicates otherwise. This campaign is starting to sound more like Fahrfegnueven (sp) 2.0.
BTW, the concentration camp nurse who accompanies you on your web test drive has to be the strangest thing I have seen on the net from a mainstream brand for many years.
My mac has a German spell checker built in. I think it does not have the word Farhvergnügen in the dictionary. Please highlight the falsely spelled, fahrfegnueven word, hit
command shift ;
Select deutsch. Spell it out correctly as
Fahrvergnügen and click learn.
Do you know how aggravating it is to see these grammar and spelling mistakes in these posts? 🙂 Yes, I am being sarcastic. But I thought I’d share a nice mac feature, too.
Nancy
Maybe it’s not obvious as I assumed so I will add:
Those instructions are for when you are typing within the “comments” field when commenting on a blog.
[B]Unpimp My Ride” was hilarious! It’s just a funny commercial. Peter Stormare plays upon a stereotype of Germans. I love a good laugh. [/B]
“Say what you will about the tenets of National Socialism, at least it’s an ethos… Nihilism… fuck me man!”
Obviously Bogusky is a Lebowski fan.
Ach der lieber die adz eine macht vunny. Lezzee eef der adz zell die carz. Then ve zee how vunny ze rheely ahr. ja?
Heimlich manowever anyvone?
It´s quite strange. As far is I followed and understood this argument you express your dislike for the ad.
Well I am German.. I dont really like the Golf MK5 and many people around here are more likely to buy an Audi A3. But I laughed my ass of on this ad. Maybe it´s because we´re more sarcastic on the ghettoboy attitude. In Germany its usual to make fun out of it because the HipHop Hype swapped over only the past 4-5 years und you see a lot 8 to 16 year olds walking around with baggy pants and acting like big pimps. They even try to imitate the language, which, in German sounds actually like.. erm. Well it sucks 😉
So that was funny enough for me. But then V-Dub representin Deutschland with his stereotype style. Oh god thats too good. German guys LOVE American guys imitating German prononciation. Its hilarious. Karl Hungus made my day!
My point is.. you dont have to love the car – but the ad 🙂
Well, owning a 13 year old VW with a VR6 engine, I thought I’d add: My car is just a few miles from celebrating its sesquacentennial K mileage rollover. It was in the shop for the first time for major repairs the past few days.
When I got it back, the first thing I experienced when I hopped in the car was: I got “my ride” back. So I think the ad misses the mark just a tad with the “my fast” cause it’s about handling and feeling the ride besides the fast. None of this fluff and stuff surround me with armor, or fluff and stuff can’t hear the engine, or the boring ride of something else. I want to feel the ride, and now I can again. Yea, better in an Audi or some other cars, but I gotta save a little more $$ for that.
warrrrrrrrruuummmm… warrrruuum ….
weidersehen…. wiederhören.
nancy
Amazing, truely amazing how everybody wants to knock the Vee Dub. The very crowd those of you who hate are, in fact, the ones who “get” the ad. I see it on a daily basis and it’s beginning to be more cult following.
If you have an earlier model VW then you very well aren’t who they are looking for. But I’ll tell you what, ask any you guy in that demographic who’s seen the ads and they’ll tell you. This was funny… yesterday I was talking to some guys (about 24-27 year olds) who watch this older guy pull into a parking spot only to scrape the front of his ride. One of the guys holds up the “vee dub” sign with his hands and starts making fun of the guy (not directly at him).
But my point is to show that it’s catching on big time. These young guys do like VW and it’s product line. Oh schnaap! You wouldn’t understand that yo! LOL
These ads are Hilarious, Brillian!! I’m 39 and I’m so sick of all those rap and hip-hop ads that think they’re cool. And quite frankly, I’m sick of the whole rap and hip-hop culture in general. GO VW!!
Mike
Mike, sorry dude… you’re over the hill as far as these ads are concerned 🙂 Just think back when you were in your 20s and 30s even… you were the wild and crazy hip youth that was being sought after. No offense, but that’s just how it goes 🙂
I agree with Mike. I am absolutely the wrong demographic for this product–over 40 with kids–but think they are hilarious. These are the only ads I can remember telling everyone in the room to shut up so I can hear. And, guess what, my single, 22-year-old brother-in-law agrees. I thinks they are quirky and counter-pimp my ride that they work. He tells me his friends even use some of the pseudo German engineering lines when they see a Volkswagen.
The whole rap-hip hop thing has gotten so
repetitive, old, stale and ANNOYING- and now a company I once respected (anyone remember Dr. Porsche?) is using it to sell cars?
Not just sad, but sick.
That’s interesting the over-40 demo is responding to the ads. CP may have inadvertantly got the more established set into buying a MkV. After all, buying one wouldn’t drown them in car payments like the 20s demo!
In a way, reminds me of how the elderly buy more Scions than the Youth market. (Not trying to say those in their 40s are in any way the elderly!!!)
Now, about those ‘buckin’ chicken commericals…
Any CP+B hatemongers wonder why CP+B gets so much attention? Clue #1: This is Comment #57 (i think) on this blog entry. Clue #2: ANother 80-something is on rm116.
Just an FYI
i wouldn’t call myself a p.h.d. here.. polite criticism, yes.
and who you calling an fyi?!
Will someone please disabuse me of the notion that the woman playing Peter Stormare’s assistant (“You gott and eff,” and “Looks like it could fly.”) is Cameron Diaz.
I love them. One of the most important purposes of an ad is to help the consumer remember them when it comes time to buy. And everytime I pass a VW dealership, I laugh and say “VW in da house, ja!”
It’s to make people laugh, and I say, they do it very successfully. Way to go, VW.
Been reading the post’s;(to the naysayers, get a grip, & see the UK’s “TopGear” segment on the GTI).As a VW employee can only say we had two GTI’s come in. Both sold witin the week, 1-DSG, 1-6spd; demographics: 1-50+ yr old woman, 1-20+ yr old male. Guess who bought what? “Way to go VW, & CP&B.” So far hitting em out of the park!
P.S. The owners son was a 6spd guy (in his 20’s) until he test drove the DSG at the Vegas Speedway & is now a DSG convert..fwap, fwap, fwap.
Not too shabby. I like it.
I want to hand it to Crispin for this one. It’s just so right on so many levels, with cheeky irony laid on sarcasm, laid on ridicule, laid on straight-up target demographic manipulation. We were all seemingly young once, and when I was young I drove and tuned Bugs. Now that I’m 40+ and can afford the toys, this advert reconnected me with that German-ness I so yearned for — even now that I know it was a fantasy then and non-existant now. To know that the VW brand can still touch me like that, and is still so willing to take risks like this, makes me more inclined to buy one of their other products, perhaps not now but at some point in the future, whether it’s the VW nameplate or from one of their corporate holdings. Probably a SEAT Leon. Really guys, modern cars are fairly similar among catagory-mates. It’s just the attitude and feelings we infuse them with, the consensual hallucination, the popularly held beliefs about them, that’s what we’re buying. Do you see my point?
Have any of you bought one as a result of the ad?
No?
Didn’t think so…
Walked by the lot, thought about it…didn’t do it…If that is all the campaign doesn, it’s not a success…
It’s truly a memorable commercial, but is it working? VW posted a 1st quarter 2006 profit that was up, but not up to the forecast. Sure, TV can’t do it all, but…
am i the only one that thinks the unpimp commercial with the stupid black dude and the impeccably dressed, articulate, blonde, blue-eyed, master-race, uber-dudes is so racist that it has NAZI all over it.
OK, maybe the VW WAS invented by hitler. You would think Volkswagon would not want to remind us.
No matter how funny it is supposed to be, you will never see a more stereotypical N***** on television.
About the only thing more disgusting is watching uniformed police officers beat the crap out of a handcuffed 60 year old junkie on “COPS.”
1. News websites give the information to the public – political, social, sports, entertainment etc.