VW ads take viewers to schnell and back
Automaker plays up German heritage in new campaign

Diana T. Kurylko

Automotive News / February 27, 2006 - 6:00 am


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Who buys a GTI?
Median age: 31
Gender: 60% male
Median household income: $65,000
College grad: 51%
Married: 35%
Source: VW




SAN DIEGO -- It's quite a cast: Helga, a blond German dominatrix. A melon-sized black creature named "Fast" that resembles Darth Vader. And three heavily-accessorized compacts destroyed by motoring purists.

They're all part of Volkswagen of America's newest advertising effort to create buzz for the VW brand, which registered a 12.5 percent slide in sales last year to 224,195 vehicles. The edgy multimedia campaign is tied to the debut of the 2006 GTI, a sporty hatchback based on the Golf.

"Our goal is to make VW famous and irreverent," said Kerri Martin, VW's director of brand innovation since last April and the former head of marketing for BMW's Mini brand. Soon after Martin's arrival, VW switched to Mini's former advertising agency, Crispin Porter+Bogusky, of Miami.



'Pocket rocket'
Dave Wicks, VW's director of sales, says the campaign's message is clear. "The original pocket rocket is back," he says, referring to the first-generation 1983 GTI.

After losing its way for at least two generations, VW decided the new model "should be an unwavering copy of the original GTI," he said at a press preview here for the GTI.

The newest GTI is powered by a 200-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and rides on a sport-tuned suspension. It's priced at $22,620, including shipping, and offers only five exterior colors, two interior choices and two option packages.

The new advertising will run through March, and Martin says the theme is obvious: "It is all about fast."

Advertising Age estimates the campaign is costing VW about $30 million, but Martin would not confirm spending.

Advertising Age, like Automotive News, is published by Crain Communications Inc.

The campaign's centerpiece, the evil-looking Fast, is the focus of four TV commercials that premiered during the winter Olympics.

In the commercials, Fast sits near the driver and, in an eerie sci-fi voice, provokes him to drive faster. The doll will be sent to all GTI buyers.

All 600 VW dealers received a Fast as part of a promotional package shipped this month. More than a dozen have been put up for auction on eBay, and one fetched $710.

Since then, Fast T-shirts, more mascots and pamphlets have appeared on eBay. Dealers were shown the advertising at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention this month and gushed approval.


German puns intended
Magazine ads have messages that include "Fast as schnell" (the German word for fast) and "Auf wiedersehen sucker."

Martin says VW is celebrating its German heritage. "There are two types of auto companies today: brave and dead," she said. "Put us in the brave category."

Another set of three TV commercials called "Unpimp mein auto" launched last week on the youth-focused cable channels MTV and Fuse. They feature Helga and Wolfgang, both dressed in short white lab coats. Helga wears white go-go boots.

Wolfgang is played by U.S. actor Peter Stormare, perhaps best known as the sociopath kidnapper who puts a body through a wood chipper in the movie Fargo.


Wrecking cars
The pair destroy three compact cars outrageously bedecked in aftermarket parts and gaudy paint. One is destroyed with a giant catapult, one with a wrecking ball and the third by a massive metal cargo container dropped on its roof.

In each spot, a plain white GTI emerges to underline the message that German engineering is all a speed enthusiast needs.

"We have a distinct view of tuning, and we've always stuck to our guns on what European tuning is," says Martin.

Helga, clad in white leather, also takes potential buyers on a joy ride in a car that has been configured on VW's Web site.

In a 60-second video that a car shopper can e-mail to friends, Helga sits in a suggestive pose and points at features.

For those who have chosen the leather interior, for example, Helga purrs with her German accent, "I just love leather," and strokes the seat.

"That was hot," she says after finishing the ride. "I think I am schwitzing."

 

I just did this on their site and it's pretty funny. Yeah, I like their ad campaign as well.

 

Anyone see the GTI commercial where the guy is driving with his g/f with the windows down?

The g/f's hair is flying all over the place and she's whining the open windows. The guy finally turns to her and says "It's really hard for me to enjoy the engine sound...with all this yapping".

 

They are pretty entertaining and the fact we remember them and discuss them means they are working to some extent. Way to go VW. I almost forget your cars are really slow.
Wonder if any activists will throw a fit about driving fast or something stupid.

 

No two ways about it. They will get letters and lots of them.

Ads far more inocuous than the latest from VW get the outraged letter writers going.

 

Yup, I think the 'fast' copmmercials are some of the best I've seen in a while.

 

very creative commercials

i actually don't mind the look of the GTI; now if it only was RWD with more power ...

 

At 3300 pounds, 200 horsepower, and 207 torque from 1800 to 5500 RPM, I'd say it's good for somewhere in the 14 second range which isn't fast by musclecar standards, but it is for most of the crowd that'll be interested in that car.

Not to mention that car is a chip away from 50 or so extra hp and 90 or so tq.

~250hp, 300tq outta get that car moving real nice.

 

Maybe with DSG it will break 14's, but that really looks more like 15's to me.

 

The commercials are entertaining, except for one flaw... the car is not fast.

 

Yeah probably low 15s on the average run with the average driver, but I'd say mid/high 14s under more ideal conditions.

I've seen my A4, which weighs 300 pounds or so more and has the exact same motor hit 14.9, though they usually are more in the 15.5 range.

 

5 days ago you said:

Sorry not trying to be an ***, but I read this and was like .
Did you see one run this past weekend or run yours?

Chris

 

Threxx likes to go with average times, and that is what he will tell you. Just like there were plenty of V6 Fbods in the 14s stock (pretty much all late model with LSD), but they weren't really 14s from the factory normally. Freak wise, the GTI is bound to see some 14s. DSG will also be another deciding factor. The problem is that FWD will be hard to launch... The power to weight ratio would be enough for high 14s otherwise. I'd race one with my V6 NA from a stop .

 

No, but after I was told that they've run 14.9 I did some searching around the web and found some time slips that agreed, though being that my track is slow and I'm not very experienced with launching a car like this at the track I'll be surprised if I do any better than mid 15.

But yeah, as mentioned, I don't really believe in quoting 'best case scenario' times for a car unless you yourself ran then with YOUR car - I think quoting your best time or the average time for the average driver of your car is being more honest.

 

I consulted my "fast" and it advised me that the Volkswagen's offerings might approach fun for those with a low tolerance level... but should not be confused with "fast" in this century's framework of reference. . . Shucks, they don't even come close to my idea of "fun".

YMMV