After
winning WWII this advertisement by Volkswagen was a complete shock for many.
First off Volkswagen, a German car company got their advertisement done by
Doyle Dane Bernbach, a Jewish company. Weird Right? Well it was a great move!
That ultimately changed the way people all over the world looked at
advertising. Secondly, this car was trying to appeal to Americans, which would
sound a bit strange, especially since we had just went through a war with
Germany and all the strings that are attached to that. But with the power of
smart and creative advertising, Volkswagen was able to bypass all of the mixed
emotions and sell many of their cars and gain loyalty. How you may ask? Well “while the
Detroit Auto market was designing large cars with many accessories, the
Volkswagen Beetle remained familiar in its simplicity. Echoed in the campaign
for the car, DDB utilized a minimalist approach to selling that related to the
reader on a personal level. Inspector Kurt Kroner is looking out for you, the
car buyer, not a faceless corporation imploring you to spend more, but a
company that has people rejecting cars for something as minor as a hairline
scratch in the windshield. The ad relates to the consumer that Volkswagen is
held to a higher standard than other automobile producers, in doing so,
successfully selling the Beetle.”(1) This was a big change for all companies;
Volkswagen brought a face to its company, and one that showed that they actually
cared for its customers and not just their money. “The Volkswagen ad
campaign—featuring such headlines as “Think Small” and “Lemon” (which were used
to describe the appearance of the car)—ushered in the era of modern advertising
by promoting a “position” or “unique selling proposition” designed to associate
each brand with a specific idea in the reader or viewer’s mind.”(2) This
car showed its value, that it was strong, durable, small but spacious at the
same time, simple, and uniquely shaped. The advertisers also grabbed the attention
of its American audience by calling their ad “Lemons,” you usually would
associate a car with lemons and the advertisers knew this and knew it would
catch wondering eyes. “This preoccupation with detail means the VW lasts longer
and requires less maintenance, by and large, than other cars. (It also means a
used VW depreciates less than any other car.) We pluck the lemons; you get the
plums.”(3)
1) Lemon. Writing
For Designers. Retrieved on October 2, 2013 from
2) Lemon, Copy
Ad. Retrieved on October 2, 2013 from
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