I Hate the New VW Campaign

To: Crispin Porter & Bogusky

Re: New VW Ad Campaign

Dear Sirs,

Your new ad campaign is so shockingly immature and misogynistic that I felt compelled to check a calendar. Has the creativity so dried up at Crispin Glover Whoziwhatsit that you had to go the take-my-wife-please route? While I applaud your doing your part to hire the elderly, maybe it's time you hired staff less enamored of Henny Youngman's gender politics, and, in the interest of half of the humans on the planet, hightailed it to join us in the 21st century.

As it does not seem that your market analysis registered anyone in the "actualized human being" category, might I give you some free advice: a whiny, self-absorbed, toy-focussed adolescent carping about his girlfriend is unattractive. And "unattractive," last I checked, did not rank high on the hit list of desirable traits in product promotion. Please reconsider your advertising strategy.

I hope you'll come to your senses, or, failing that, come to mine.

Newly embarrassed to be driving a VW,
I remain,
Anti-patriarchally yours,
ae

VW's Quirky Campaign to Revive U.S. Sales.

The target audience for the GTI is undeniably male: Volkswagen chose to unveil the new campaign on Thursday by holding a news conference at the office of Playboy magazine in New York. Print ads for the GTI are scheduled to run in magazines like Maxim, Spin, ESPN, Wired and Autoweek.

Beyond the leggy German-accented Helga in a skintight dress, the other women in the ads are typically portrayed as nagging girlfriends who interfere with the male drivers and their "fasts."

In one television commercial that is running during the Olympics, a female passenger asks the male driver, presumably her boyfriend, to roll up the windows because her hair is getting tangled by the wind.

He responds by saying, "Sweetie, it's really hard for me to enjoy the sound of the engine with all that yakking."

Another commercial depicts a man refusing to let his girlfriend enter his car because he does not want to "carry the extra weight."

It is a point that is not lost on Alex Bogusky, the chief creative officer for Crispin, who said he considered the car and its driving experience masculine.

"There are obviously women who will buy the GTI," he said Thursday, but the main emphasis of the ads was the car's performance.

I beg to differ. The main emphasis of the ads seems to be, "Shut up/Go away, girl. You're getting in the way of my good time." The car's performance is merely hinted at by revving noises, a dork behind the wheel, and a toy devil robot w/ a deep voice saying something unintelligible. The "performance" of which Mr. Bogusky is so enamored is less the car's and more a professed freedom -- of car ownership (mobility), the open road (unfettered past), and a sort of masculine "right of way," which is, let's face it, a rejection of the feminine (not to put too fine a point on it). It is sexist, misanthropic, and passe. I just can't believe that this piece of shite cadvertising passes for clever in 2006.

Comments

[The Fat Lady Sings]

Oh boy did you ever nail this one! My hubby and I just had this discussion yesterday. As a matter of fact - the ads offend my husband so much he automatically changes the channel every time one comes on. As to WHY a major automobile company would unveil such an openly misogynistic ad campaign - well, you said it yourself:

Volkswagen chose to unveil the new campaign on Thursday by holding a news conference at the office of Playboy magazine in New York. Print ads for the GTI are scheduled to run in magazines like Maxim, Spin, ESPN, Wired and Autoweek.

It screams ‘women are entertaining and disposable pieces of meat’. And what do you expect considering the current climate worldwide as regards women in general? Everywhere you look, rights are being curtailed – in England Muslim fanatics have demanded Sharia law be applicable to their ethnic neighborhoods – and it is actually being considered! Here – we have a Supreme Court poised to severely limit a woman’s ability to control her own reproductive system. It’s the same everywhere else in the world. So VW essentially says it could give a damn whether or not it offends women. Evidently they don’t think women will ever be in a command position regarding purchasing the family car. And I have to say – the fact that they know they are being misogynistic and they DON’T CARE really, really unnerves the hell out of me.

[David]

Misogyny is further evidence of the Flat Earth Society in Government.

[ae]

TFLS, I, too, change the channel as soon as these idiot commercials come on. GRRRR. And it's screamingly obvious from their chosen announcement venue (why in the hell would they do this from the Playboy Mag offices?) (rhetorical question) that they're not here to make nice w/ the grrls. And that's what unnerves/infuriates me, too. Not that this is the primary concern, but HOW in the hell can they afford -- since it's all for a buck -- to make that calculation? They deserve to have a losing year. I hope this shit ad campaign tanks their sales. As a formerly happy owner of a VW, I certainly won't think about buying another one if this is the tack they're going to take. I want a Mini anyway.

David, it is amazing to think that so many could have such a small and pinched view of half of humanity, isn't it?

[Brian]

I am just amazed by the comments I have just read. All of you need to get a life. There is nothing wrong with the new VW Ad's. I think they are very funny and do not find them offensive. I am a proud owner of three VW's and over the years my family has owned a total nineteen of them. They are commercials for goodness sake! Nothing more. There have been planty of times when you, me, or anyone else has wanted the other person to be quiet so we could enjoy something like the "sound of a motor", a movie, etc..... and less weight in a car is always a good thing from a performace stand point but I guess that ultra over weight Americans wouldn't know this. I realize this is probably a group of people that complain any and everything so. please do us all a favor and throw away your t.v.'s and lock yourself in a sealed room. Thank you. =)

[Brian]

I am just amazed by the comments I have just read. All of you need to get a life. There is nothing wrong with the new VW Ad's. I think they are very funny and do not find them offensive. I am a proud owner of three VW's and over the years my family has owned a total nineteen of them. They are commercials for goodness sake! Nothing more. There have been plenty of times when you, me, or anyone else has wanted the other person to be quiet so we could enjoy something like the "sound of a motor", a movie, etc..... and less weight in a car is always a good thing from a performace stand point but I guess that ultra over weight Americans wouldn't know this. I realize this is probably a group of people that complain about any and everything so. please do us all a favor and throw away your t.v.'s and lock yourself in a sealed room. Thank you. =)