VW Crash ads are no accident

When I first saw the VW crash commercial I thought “cool!” The ad, featuring what looks to be a real car crash as seen from inside the car, got my attention because of the unexpectedness of the crash and the realistic way it appears. That week I started asking friends and family if they had seen the commercials. I was surprised to hear some people don’t like them and are trying to get the spots pulled. They say the crashes are too real, too scary and are even calling the company to find out whether the actors were really in an accident. Some angry viewers are even saying they will not be scared into buying a VW.
No matter what they’re saying, it is evident that the commercial definitely has buzz power. People are talking, the best thing that can be done for a brand or product. Blogs across the internet are strewn with posts and comments regarding the spots, which started airing earlier this month. The ads are to promote the Volkswagen Jetta as a safe vehicle that can withstand crashes- the tagline for the ads is “Safe Happens.” While there have been many ad campaigns focusing on the safety of cars, they usually feature crash test results- not “real” crashes. This approach is meant to shock and it does just that. People can’t help but talk to others about the ads, discuss whether they are real or not and try to alleviate any discomfort the ads bring. This is an example of when a company doesn’t need to do anything extra to have word of mouth spread about a product, it just happens naturally. All VW had to do was make the commercial; they didn’t have to pay for the extra benefits brought on by the ad. This shocking ad campaign will stay with the company, even as they abandon it and move on to other creative ideas next month. Consumers will think of the realistic crashes when they see Jettas and will be looking to see if there are more of these ads. We have yet to see whether sales of the Jetta will increase as a result of the crash commercials.

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