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VW suicide-bomber viral spot a hoax So the item of the day on advertising blogs everywhere has been this disturbing viral Volkswagen ad. It shows, if you can believe it, a suicide bomber driving up to a café in a VW Polo and trying to detonate a car bomb. But he manages to blow only himself up—the sporty little roadster absorbs the blast, proving that it is “small but tough.” As if we needed it, we have gotten official word that neither VW nor any of its agencies (including DDB, its lead shop in Europe) had anything to do with this. It is indeed a hoax. Move on, please. Nothing to see here. —Posted by Tim Nudd

January 18, 2005 | Permalink

Comments

Heh heh heh. If only ad agencies had the balls to produce this kind of thing.

Posted by: Dwight Carr | Jan 24, 2005 6:23:13 PM

You refer to a "disturbing viral Volkswagen ad". What
was disturbing about it - the fact that he didn't blow
anybody besides himself up?

Posted by: Joe Bonforte | Jan 24, 2005 6:25:19 PM

This VW ad is a riot. Everyone I've shown it to - everyone I know who has seen it - liberal, conservative or centrist - think its hilarious.

How could you miscalculate this so wildly? Something so popular - yet you think its bad.

Figures. You should sell shoes or something.

Posted by: Dale Launer | Jan 25, 2005 6:28:01 PM

Hilarious! Kudos to whoever made this ad -- it's a keeper.

Posted by: Delia | Jan 25, 2005 6:39:16 PM

If only we could fine a way to make this sort of thing happen in real life. That you would find this ad disturbing, only shows where your sympathies truely lie.

Posted by: DCRocks | Jan 26, 2005 11:50:03 AM

Dang!

You people are sick! Congratulating the person who made this. What about all those poor innocents who have died in a situation similar to this? Do you think their friends and families are laughing now.

We all do need to laugh at ourselves sometimes... but there is a line that needs to be drawn.

Posted by: Wilky | Jan 26, 2005 5:09:19 PM

We all do need to laugh at ourselves sometimes... but there is a line that needs to be drawn.

Wilky - There is a line. But it is quite a few giant steps past crocodile tears for someone who planned to kill a bunch of people.
What is it about making fun of terrorists who are stupid enough to kill for no particular reason that you find objectionable? What would the family of a victim of a suicide bomber think?
I find it hillarious.

Posted by: Papertiger | Jan 26, 2005 7:43:53 PM

No, no, no. You don't get it.
You publicly decry the outrage of such an obscenity. And then, just like our president, you watch the ad while laughing until the tears roll down your cheeks.

Posted by: gwbushisacommercial | Jan 27, 2005 1:34:28 AM

I agree with most people, I wish that they had the "balls" to produce a spot like this, but the fact that suicide bombs happen every day now, it's not so funny. A great message for the wrong time. I heard a funny joke about the atomic bomb the other day...

Posted by: ryan | Jan 27, 2005 7:29:25 PM

> Wilky - There is a line. But it is quite a
> few giant steps past crocodile tears for
> someone who planned to kill a bunch of
> people.

Believe me I have no tears for the terrorists who commit such atrocities. No, my sympathy goes to the lives which are damaged forever by the violent acts that are committed.

> What would the family of a victim of a
> suicide bomber think?

I could imagine it would bring back the pain of the loss of a loved one. It would be a reminder of just how senseless our world (the human world) can be sometimes.

If we were to follow your train of thought, then why not lets have some "funny adverts" of women/children getting raped? Same difference no?

> You publicly decry the outrage of such an
> obscenity. And then, just like our
> president

He ain't my president buddy!

Posted by: Wilky | Jan 27, 2005 8:05:54 PM

It's sick blah blah blah. You are soooo missing the point. He doesn't kill or harm anyone but himself. That's what's funny. No one is trying to condone suicide bombing here. It wouldn't be funny as an ad for say a Lada and it blows up killing people and the tag line was something like "Weak as shit!". People get a grip.

Posted by: Smosh | Jan 31, 2005 10:53:43 PM

Gotta agree with Smosh on the comment he made on the 31st. Man people don't have a sense of humor. I don't find this commercial offensive, I find the news (and all the crap thats happening in it), such as police shooting an unarmed person 40 times, more offensive.

Posted by: funnyashell | Feb 2, 2005 3:51:10 PM

being a palestinian myself i would consider this add to be greatly offensive and racist. Portraying an arab wearing the koffiyya to be the bomber is a generalization.....remember palestinians are not the only oppressed people that have been forced to commit such atrocities due to injustice done upon them......suicide bombing is against humanity, yet remeber the people commiting these acts are desperate people in need of urgent help....making fun of them for some stupid car add is very very cruel.

Posted by: sims | Feb 3, 2005 1:07:06 PM

if only all suicide attacks were thwarted so effortlessly...

Posted by: josh | Feb 4, 2005 8:14:34 PM

What's so abhorrent about this commercial is the fact that the only solution it proposes to suicide bombing and cultural warfare is a sturdy German car.

Posted by: maggie | Feb 4, 2005 8:41:04 PM

>Portraying an arab wearing the koffiyya to be the bomber is a generalization

Do you happen to know of any suicide bomber NOT wearing a dish towel on his fowl head?

Posted by: Andreas Brecht | Feb 5, 2005 11:29:20 PM

"Do you happen to know of any suicide bomber NOT wearing a dish towel on his fowl head?"

The Japanese Kamikazes or the Tamil rebels who blew up Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of India are two examples.google it you will find many more ....

Posted by: sims | Feb 6, 2005 2:30:10 PM

It belittles the seriousness of suicide bombing and even more importantly, what it signifies. Its easy to dismiss suicide bombing as inhumane and insane. But if you try to understand what might instigate someone to even consider being a suicide bomber you might realize that these people are not treated "humanly" and live an unbearable life. I cannot even begin to imagine being driven to that, but then, like most of you, i live a very comfortable and fortunate life. I am not excusing it, just trying to understand why.

As for the Kafeya, it symbolizes their struggle and pain. It does not symbol that they are part of a "terrorist organization" as which it is reduced to in this video. At least not conciously.Besides any person who can afford a VW, would probably not feel helpless enough, to end their life, to what they believe is the only way they can fight their struggle.

hey, i sometimes where a kafeya, or "dish towel" as you called it, does that mean Im a suicide bomber? The association should work both ways.

I must commend the filming and directing though- but you should try and put your skills to good use!

Posted by: MB | Feb 6, 2005 3:03:00 PM

Would you approve this idea if YOU were RESPONSIBLE for VW brand?

No.

So?

(Thank God the balls are not - yet - the part of human body that do the... thinking, heh heh heh)

Posted by: gresz | Feb 8, 2005 7:43:03 AM

I don't see this add as offensive but I can understand the point of view of one who does. Middle Eastern people are not the only ones who kill themselves and others, as we in America have seen. We have school shootings (Columbine for one) and just a few weeks ago someone at a Christler plant about 40 miles from where I live went to work and shot 3 other people and himself so people from the Middle East aren't the only ones doing this kind of thing. I think that instead of just saying that they are terrible (not that murder/suicide is not terrible) we should try to help the oppressed so they stop doing these things. Unless they are just fanatics who do this for their "religion" in which case we should just execute them. As for the add, I am not in favor of steriotyping but it just wouldn't have been as funny had it been a white guy...

Posted by: pip | Feb 9, 2005 3:17:01 PM

calm down chickas. the ad is funny. it may upset those that have had loved ones killed and it may upset non terrorist middle easters but to those that aren't in either group, its funny. now, to say "dont make it because it'll offend someone" would mean nothing humerous could be made. the movie "dumb and dumber" upset dumb people but o well. was still funny.

Posted by: kay day | Mar 6, 2005 6:38:59 PM

Diaperheads offended by the ad?
Too bad.
Three words: lock and load

Posted by: WTF | Mar 6, 2005 7:25:34 PM

Car's saved. Driver's dead.
Thanks.

Posted by: luck | Apr 3, 2005 4:14:11 PM

If this has offended anyone in America then we have truly become a nation a pussies. We can't let terrorist organizations know that the strongest nation in the world is to whipped to show a commercial like this. They will see us a weak and this in turn will rally people to their cause.

Was it offensive? The only people it was offensive to would be a terrorist, so if your not then be quiet.

Hey luck, I agree with your last post,

>Car's saved. Driver's dead. Thanks.

but I would hate to be the person to clean it out.

Posted by: Biotricky | Apr 15, 2005 10:19:38 AM

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