Smart VW Guerilla from Brazil

This is smart, very smart. I love it.

More great VW advertising not happening in the US

From South Africa: "Dreaming of a GTI" (via AdPulp)

Singin' in the Rain

It's a few years old, but good nonetheless.

VW: This is what the people want?

VW has a new "What the people want" site up that lets you (the people) say what you want via polls. Then Max, that clever '64 beetle chimes in from time to time as you vote. As I've said before, I'm not a big fan of this campaign. There's just no call to action. "The people want German engineering" (the tagline). Good, I'm still going to go buy a Honda (truth be told I actually own a VW, but it was bought long before this or any other campaigns of recent memory). Telling me what the people want is not an argument that's going to persuade me anytime soon. In fact, I'm more inclined to not want what everyone else wants, but that's more of a personal attitude.

I think my biggest problem with these ads is that there is a disconnect from the ads to the product. I know it's probably considered edgy or avant garde right now to not show the product (and use a '64 model instead), it's also a nice homage to the classic DDB VW ads of yesteryear, and the whole car-as-a-talkshow-host thing is arguably a fresh approach. But all of that doesn't make me want a VW, not in the least, and I think that part of the goal of advertising involved getting people to buy your product, last time I checked. So I'm sorry VW, the brand I want to love, and Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the agency I want to love, but this campaign is not what the people want.

VW Sounds Good

I've posted a few VW related items before, some good (building the website), some bad (crispin porter + bogusky's VW falls flat) but this might be my favorite. It's fun, and it makes me want to watch it again. And again. It also makes me wonder what I might enjoy driving around in a Golf. And that's probably the best thing a car commercial can do. I think Tribal DDB is responsible for this and the previously mentioned website ad so kudos to them. Crispin Porter + Bogusky should take notes (that's not something I thought I'd ever get to say). What do you guys think: is the American work from CP+B better or the European work from Tribal DDB?

Crispin Porter + Bogusky's VW Falls Flat

Let me be perfectly clear on two things: one, I like Crispin Porter + Bogusky (I've got an application in for a summer internship... fingers crossed). Two, I don't like their new VW spots. You know, the ones with the 1964 beetle that has it's own talk show. Or the print ones in the Wall Street Journal where the car says "The people want an economic stimulus." Oh yeah, how clever, now I want to buy a car. C'mon guys, the people that brought us the king can do better. Everything else I wanted to say has already been said by Adweek.

VW: Building websites like cars

This is pretty cool. VW ad from Tribal DDB that shows their UK website being physically built (like a car). Like I've said about a lot of the other great ads I've posted here I really like the "behind the scenes" aspect of something we take for granted (website building, vending machines, the wind). Work like this comes from a place of understanding and "truth", the way I see it. You really have to not only know your client's product / process, but also understand the truth behind how things come to be, like the idea that VW builds it's website like it builds it's cars. Now that's leveraging insight and creativity. (via Denver Egotist)