VW spot leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth
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September 21, 2007 | Permalink |
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I like edgy advertising as much as anyone, but that's horrendous. Definitely most disgusting ad of the year.
Posted by: Adwriter | Sep 21, 2007 8:50:05 AM
Watching this brand die is like the director's cut of Beaches.
Posted by: the ghost of helmut | Sep 21, 2007 10:21:38 AM
What the F? Tell me this is not a real ad and just a publicity stunt.
Posted by: Smivey | Sep 21, 2007 10:31:05 AM
Oh, come on! It's funny! It's original! I would cut off my left nut if I they would let me do work like this. Seriously, do you guys watch South Park or Drawn Together? Advertising should be just as edgy as the culture, not fucking PC, polite and pretty.
Jesus, no wonder people get burned out in this business.
You know, it's nice that for once someone isn't doing pretty people doing pretty things looking pretty.
PUSH THE MOTHERFUCKING ENVELOPE, GODDAMMIT! If I could do a fucking ad with Satan having sex with Jesus, I would fucking do it. Damn political correctness!
Posted by: Bobby | Sep 21, 2007 11:50:05 AM
Licking shit is about as creative as sketching a penis in a sketch book. Sorry. But this is not pushing the envelope.
Posted by: | Sep 21, 2007 12:44:09 PM
Funny is subjective, but it's not original. See VW's own spot of the dude licking the car on the lot.
Plus, how many times have we seen the "go to extremes" to protect your car.
Horrible.
Posted by: yikes | Sep 21, 2007 12:47:09 PM
Ohhh a poop joke — how refreshing. Low brow and insulting to one's intelligence.
Posted by: | Sep 21, 2007 12:53:41 PM
"Plus, how many times have we seen the "go to extremes" to protect your car"
---Thousands, but the trick is to do it in a different way. How many times have we seen a beautiful woman in an ad? How many times have we seen a happy family? It's HOW you execute the concept that matters. This is a step beyond just licking a car.
What are you saying, that if someone did an ad with a priest I can't ever use a priest?
Do you know how hard is to sell an ad like that? Most of the clients I've had just want to see their car going places.
That's all the way, vignettes, performance shots, interior shots, and an annoying announcer yelling "Introducing the totally all new Gas Guzzler with 330 hp."
Not even concepts, but boring vignettes. Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to do crap like that all the time?
The scary thing is that eventually you get used to it, and then you'll do whatever as long as you can get a free lunch and a comfy leather chair at an editorial house. That's when you start telling your producer not to book a place because they didn't kiss your ass well enough.
I know people who work at Creative On Demand, it's not an easy place to work at (they tell me), but at least they have the balls to present ideas like that. At least they're not afraid of offending the client. And when whoever did that ad goes on a job interview, he's not gonna have to oversell his work because his work will sell him without him speaking a word. And then he'll get hired by some boring agency for a lot of money to spice things up.
So you see, it pays to do poop ads.
Posted by: Bobby | Sep 21, 2007 2:10:40 PM
From one Bobby to another:
Bobby, just because an ad is different or edgy or outrageous, doesn't mean it's good.
Sometimes, yes. But certainly not always.
It helps if the "different or edgy or outrageous" actually has something to do (however limited) with the product or the audience.
And unless VW's car is literally a piece of crap, or their audience is into some seriously sick stuff, this spot doesn't achieve either goal.
You know, you can get a great job at a great agency along with some big bucks by doing smart work, too.
Posted by: Bob | Sep 21, 2007 2:41:02 PM
Bobby, (first Bobby), I agree push the envelop, but at what point do you thorw the brand out? What's the premise of this latest VW push, that VW owners love their car beyond like nobody else (blah, blah, and so do BMW and Jag owners, etc.) But, the Jetta owner is a certain type as well. Probably obsessive about cleanliness,etc. Does it ring true that they would even touch bird shit? I owned two Jettas, and as good as they were, I wouldn't be tasting shit for them, let alone even touching it.
Posted by: bg | Sep 21, 2007 3:27:48 PM
The whole concept of "I'll do anything for (insert product here)" has gone beyond formulaic. The only way to keep it interesting is of course to keep upping the ante. Enter bird poop. This is the same phenomena we see in violent movies where the bloodshed has to keep escalating to keep the dumbfucks who like such movies interested. Nothing remotely creative in this spot at all.
Posted by: pete shotton | Sep 21, 2007 3:44:22 PM
"I agree push the envelop, but at what point do you thorw the brand out?"
---Well, I think their entire brand identity is "we're not like other car companies so we can do whatever we want." Remember those "shit happens" spots?
"But, the Jetta owner is a certain type as well. Probably obsessive about cleanliness,etc. Does it ring true that they would even touch bird shit?"
---No, but think about this. The Honda Element has been having trouble being sold to the 18 to 35 crowd. Yet because of it's boxyness, people over 50 love it. Yet you'll never see an ad with people over 50 driving it. Why? Because our industry is not based on real insights but lies. We exaggerate everything, in our little world we'll make fun of a someone obsessed with cleanliness by making him lick shit. It's all part of the game.
"Bobby, just because an ad is different or edgy or outrageous, doesn't mean it's good. Sometimes, yes. But certainly not always."
---Well, I agree, however, but I'd rather celebrate an outrageous bad ad than a boring bad ad. In this case, I think the idea is funny. I specially like the part where the guy kisses the girl and the girl gets all weird.
"It helps if the "different or edgy or outrageous" actually has something to do (however limited) with the product or the audience."
---And what is so special about the Jetta? To me it looks like just another boring sedan. True, Lexus does ads about a car that can park itself, but I doubt the Jetta has such unique qualities worth advertising. I think you have to approach this like Budweiser, there's comes a point where you just can't say "great tasting beer" and have to do work that has nothing to do with the product but everything to do with brand attitude.
"or their audience is into some seriously sick stuff, this spot doesn't achieve either goal."
---I'm willing to bet that the audience thinks of themselves as so sophisticated that even if they find it sick, they'll be glad VW approved this. But maybe you're right, maybe the audience is sick. Perhaps this are the same people that went to see the Virgin Mary covered in elephant dung at MOMA in New York. Or maybe they're like me, so sick of typical advertising that they'll embrace anything that's different, even if it's "wrong."
"You know, you can get a great job at a great agency along with some big bucks by doing smart work, too."
---Here's where it gets ironic. If you have controversial spec work, they won't take you seriously because they'll say it's impossible to produce that or unrealistic. But if you get something controversial produced, then you're gonna look like the man who can get anything sold.
Thank you all for debating.
Posted by: Bobby | Sep 21, 2007 4:43:24 PM
Who cares about "pushing the envelope" or "being different". Sounds like someone in ad school to me.
What's important is does the advertisement gain brand preference and/or will it sell the car.
The answer to both of these questions is, not if you're over 13 years old. Unfortunately, VW, to the best of my knowledge (and I haven't spoken with anyone at VW mind you), volkswagen does not sell many cars to those 13 and under.
This won't win awards and it definitely won't sell cars. That makes it a dud.
Posted by: Andrew | Sep 21, 2007 4:56:27 PM
I'm not in adschool, I've been 4 years in the business.
"What's important is does the advertisement gain brand preference and/or will it sell the car."
---Please, what's important is if it looks good in your book and it wins an award. Account people never share sales data with creatives. Who are you kidding?
You think Clios rewards sales? Please, if that was the case, that "Head-on apply directly on the forehead" spot would be winning Cannes Lions by now.
Posted by: Bobby | Sep 21, 2007 5:43:09 PM
//But if you get something controversial produced, then you're gonna look like the man who can get anything sold.//
Bobby, I will agree that selling work is an important aspect of this business.
But I take it you're a junior or ad student. No offense if you're not, just guessing.
I can tell you that if you're a junior at an agency, you're probably (VERY probably) not going to be doing the selling of the concept.
If you do crappy (pardon the pun, I don't use them in my work) work like this, you're just going to be known as "the man the AEs dive on their swords for and then get taken off the account and hold you responsible."
Not the best way to craft a career in advertising.
Hey, just trying to give you a little wisdom and insight into the reality of advertising, versus the fantasy version schools give you.
I like great work as much as anyone. Really. I've worked at some of the best agencies in the world.
The spot we're debating isn't worth this debate.
Posted by: Bob | Sep 21, 2007 5:50:24 PM
There is zero creative or original about this spot. If awards are all that matter and not sales, then this spot is still not any good.
Posted by: | Sep 21, 2007 6:17:08 PM
"But I take it you're a junior or ad student. No offense if you're not, just guessing."
---I am offended, you assume that because my opinion doesn't fit with the status quo. That's why I rarely give my opinion. This industry will crush you if you dare show some independent thought. For the record, I'm not a junior, I'm a mid-level, that's that place in hell between the junior and senior. In fact, since my agency doesn't have a senior, I do his job, thus that makes me a de-facto senior with a mid-level salary making $50,000 in Miami. A junior in this town would normally paid $30,000, maybe $20,000.
"If you do crappy (pardon the pun, I don't use them in my work) work like this, you're just going to be known as "the man the AEs dive on their swords for and then get taken off the account and hold you responsible."
---Don't worry, I can assure you that I don't get to do "crappy" work like that. My work is what everyone expects, happy, positive, family friendly, never controversial. At my job, I can't even write an ad with the words "Merry Christmas." That's considered offensive. AE's will raise hell if anything offends their precious sensibilities. Frankly, I don't know who do you have to blow to do the work you want to do.
Posted by: Bobby | Sep 21, 2007 7:22:45 PM
"--Well, I think their entire brand identity is "we're not like other car companies so we can do whatever we want." Remember those "shit happens" spots?
Yes, but the safe happens played off that 'shit happens' phrase without going over the edge. They also are about the dedication their owners show more than how different as a car they are.
"---No, but think about this. The Honda Element has been having trouble being sold to the 18 to 35 crowd. Yet because of it's boxyness, people over 50 love it. Yet you'll never see an ad with people over 50 driving it. Why? Because our industry is not based on real insights but lies. We exaggerate everything, in our little world we'll make fun of a someone obsessed with cleanliness by making him lick shit. It's all part of the game."
Truee. The Element though was in response to PT Cruiser, a car where boomers felt they could reconnect with their memories of the 60s, the beach boys and the old woody with surf boards on top.
Problem is, like the PT, the Element has its roots in a boring car company, the people who brought you the smat, sensible Accord.
(They should concede the market because the Toyota Scion is the car the Element so desperately wants to be. The tuner crowd loves it, the ads and don't be squarwd approached are cool. The talking crab and car are funny, but Honda still feels like your dad trying to be cool in front of your friends.)
Posted by: bg | Sep 21, 2007 8:08:47 PM
"Yes, but the safe happens played off that 'shit happens' phrase without going over the edge."
---True, but I can't imagine any other agency other than CPB doing it. At most agencies they would tell you that it's not sophisticated, that you can't shown the product in a bad light, you know, the usual excuses. At most agencies they would tell you those ads were over the edge.
"Truee. The Element though was in response to PT Cruiser, a car where boomers felt they could reconnect with their memories of the 60s, the beach boys and the old woody with surf boards on top."
---Really? Well, if that's the case, why not show boomers driving it? Why only show some 18 to 25 punk? This offends me more than licking shit on TV.
"(They should concede the market because the Toyota Scion is the car the Element so desperately wants to be."
---The Scion doesn't compare with the Element, the Scion is small, the Element is tall and has 4x4 capability. The Scion only attracts a younger crowd. Honda has wider appeal. My opinion.
Posted by: Bobby | Sep 24, 2007 10:36:19 AM
did anybody notice that the youtube version is different from the one posted in Adweek?? youtube got the full on gross one. the adweek one (which is probably the one airing) leaves the dirty deed up to the imagination. you gotta hand it to the agency and vw because they're daring enough to push the buttons and give us something to write about. can't say much about spots from other car brands, can't say i can even remember one.
Posted by: Simon | Sep 24, 2007 12:20:40 PM
"They(Honda) should concede the market because the Toyota Scion is the car the Element so desperately wants to be. The tuner crowd loves it, the ads and don't be squarwd approached are cool. The talking crab and car are funny, but Honda still feels like your dad trying to be cool in front of your friends."
Posted by: | Sep 25, 2007 1:55:39 PM
this ad is pathetic. soon after this ad broke the diversity adv manager (John Gasloli) for VW got canned. serves him right for approving shit like this. this ad agency won't last much longer, mark my words.
Posted by: jonny | Mar 4, 2009 4:50:52 PM
