Volkswagen of America Temporarily Reins In Adverts Amid Diesel Scandal

Cameron Aubernon
by Cameron Aubernon

If, while watching your team crush it this weekend, you see few Volkswagen ads, you’re not alone; VW of America is reining in advertising for two weeks.

In a memo sent Friday to VWoA’s dealer network, marketing chief Vinay Shahani announced the subsidiary would “temporarily pause a majority” of its tier-one advertising immediately through October 11, Automotive News reports.

The reduction will not affect some of VWoA’s key efforts, such as the postgame coverage following NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” but those watching “Grey’s Anatomy” will have to visit YouTube if they want to see any of the adverts featuring VW’s App Connect infotainment system, debuting for the 2016 model year, as Shahani noted in the memo:

Ongoing press coverage and negative consumer social sentiment in the marketplace has effectively drowned out any positive messaging from our national App Connect campaign.

The move follows the immediate removal of regional-level advertising of the automaker’s diesel models earlier this week, a result of the fallout from the EPA’s revelation last week regarding said models cheating during emissions testing.

Image credit: Volkswagen USA/ YouTube

Cameron Aubernon
Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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  • Anonymous Anonymous on Sep 27, 2015

    Jeremy Clarkson on the 2 liter VW Jetta turbodiesel: "It's the first car I've driven that has not a single feature. Nothing. I have to review this for the Sunday Times and I cannot think of one word to say about it. Other than the fact that I think it was made in Mexico." Well, he'd have plenty to say about it now.

  • Years from now, I'll be able to say I had a front row seat to the demise of VW. However, to hedge my bets, I may wait till their stock drops and buy in. Then I can say: "yup - I got in on the ground floor after the environmental regulations ruined them and they redesigned all their cars to satisfy liberal whims"

    • See 1 previous
    • Davekaybsc Davekaybsc on Sep 27, 2015

      Damn that liberal clean air that isn't full of particulate matter with STRONG CONSERVATIVE VALUES. Liberal asthma and lung disease conspiracies are ruining everything. Won't somebody, anybody PLEASE think of the corporate profits?

  • Waftable Torque Waftable Torque on Sep 27, 2015

    There's no such thing as bad publicity. Think of the millions they have saved by having the media providing free exposure for the VW brand. Now their MBA's should move forward with the equally intelligent "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger" , "problems are just opportunities in disguise", and the law of attraction. To learn more, that'll be a 3 day intensive course for only $5999. Hurry, space is limited! /s

  • Mitchw Mitchw on Sep 28, 2015

    VAG might even get some free publicity this week for the Audi TDI lineup. Who can really be sure?

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