The best VW adds were the un-pimp your auto adds.

Lady: What does that thing do? (Pointing to a hood scoop)
Guy: It sucks air.
Lady: Well, it certainly does suck.

Loved all of them. I was just reminded of them on Sunday when I saw a VW Golf with a ridiculously large rear spoiler. Reminded me of the commercial where they try to launch a “pimped” auto with a tribuchet (sp?).

As tot he original topic, I also think the author is a little to easily annoyed. I didn’t think that the first commercial was all that funny, but it didn’t make me want to throw a brick through my TV set like some commercials. The second commercial actually made me smile the first few times I saw it. Neither of these commercials is on a par with the unpimp my ride commercials, but they aren’t that bad.

Thank you VW…for continually reminding me why I’ve moved on, and will steer my wife away from anything associated with the brand next time she buys a car.

we looked at a Rabbit, then went to check out a Civic . . . . we wound up getting a Civic SI Sedan for $20 more/month than a Rabbit sedan.

Oh, and it drives waaaaaaaaaaaay better than $20/month more should deliver.

So the first ad, I think, is a case of marketers writing a joke to an audience of marketers; it’s not a big leap to go from “legal copy always has to be tweaked as if someone is going to take it literally” to “what if someone DID take it literally?”

I think you’ll find of most car ads that the VW’s on a whole seem to be well liked. I’ll agree the sign and drive bits are very good but a hell of a lot better than the Ford Edge commercials. It’s obvious that it’s a joke, a play on words and its mildly funny.

If you think of memorable commercials from the past few years the ones that stand out are the “Un-Pimp da auto” ones for the GTI and the “Safe Happens” for the Jetta and others. Both were well received and got many views on YouTube. As to white cars? It’s the most popular color for cars sold and VW has used it for years. Some cars like the GTI look really good in white.

I’ll have to say I disagree with the author on this one. The question I do have is there analysis of other brands marketing forth coming? If you look at one you should probably look at them all.

Or is this just an early April Fools editorial?

I think TonyCD is right: It’s supposed to be postmodernly hip, intentionally bad, like the movies “Napoleon Dynamite” or “Hot Rod”, it’s as if the advertiser winks back at us and says “aren’t these ads stupid?”

Robert, I think this type of ad is one that deliberately rejects the advertising maxim you quoted, for the sake of PoMo ironic detachment.

Whether VWs ad will have the desired effect will be shown in the sales figures, I suppose. There does seem to be a weird symbiotic relationship between VW and Mac computers. Both seem to appeal to a demographic that is intent on marking itself as separate and distinct from the mainstream.

I liked both commercials…with DVRs on every TV, I don’t watch many commercials, but I’d actually go back to watch VW commercials (at least once or twice), since they’re usually amusing.

Not a big fan of the horn commercial, but the sign then drive made me laugh a bit. Though the “Fast” ones were awesome. So much so I ended up buying one of those little “fast” toy animal things. Unpimp your auto was fun to, almost made me purchase a GTI. I love the way the actor said it. Itz time to unpimpz zeh auto!

You should really lighten up a little. Might make the world a bit easier for you if you didn’t take everything so seriously.

I have to say I was seriously tempted after the Stormare series to wait for the diesel Rabbit/Golf to test drive it. The new series has turned me off to that idea. I don’t like being insulted be the vendor. Two many companies produce commercials where they clearly demonstrate they forgot who pays their bills (like the Wamu commercials of yore). It needs to be discouraged.

VW probably has no hope of real survival unless they get that youth market. Then again, that same market bashed Scion for a number of product glitches and other issues. Can VW, a company with reputation for bad reliability and arrogant dealer network, remake themselves to fit that markets’ needs? We shall see!

Tats and piercings are so commonplace I didn’t even think to mention them. Piercings in both ears, the nose, the lower lip, and tats on the writs and ankles. The girls of course go for even more elaborate decoration.

The ‘crash’ series were thought-provoking; Sign Then Drive is silly but harmless. But I hate the beeping commercial. It’s damn annoying to listen to if you have the TV on in the background. And the beep-controlling guy just comes across as an a*hole. What’s the message here — jerks drive Jettas?