October 3, 2010
…[It] may be the most recognizable television tune ever — the one that accompanies Mayberry sheriff Andy Taylor and his young son, Opie, as they amble on down to the local fishing hole with poles in hand.
Image via WikipediaImage by Getty Images via @daylifeWritten by the late Chicago-born composer Earle Hagen — who died in 2008 …— the opening theme to “The Andy Griffith Show” immediately evokes a more innocent time and place where honesty, integrity, friendship and family were always paramount. It currently can be heard in a commercial for the Volkswagen Routan minivan …
Chances are you’re whistling it — out loud or in your head — right now.
Here, according to Hagen’s widow, Laura … is how it came to be. The charmingly unpolished version that played early on was reportedly the same version Hagen recorded in one take as a mere demo.
“Sheldon [Leonard, a producer and director] told Earle [the show] was set in a hometown, kind of a backwoods little quiet town called Mayberry, and they wanted something that would fit that. And Earle told me, ‘It just took me quite a while to decide on what to do. And then I realized it just had to be something really simple. Something you could whistle.’ And that’s when he came up with it. He said he penciled out the piano part, called up some musicians, went into the studio that night and recorded a demo. And he had his son, Deane, who was 11 at the time, do the snapping fingers. And Earle whistled it and these guys played it and he gave it to Sheldon, and Sheldon loved it and he said, ‘We’re just going to use that for the opening shot and we’ll have Andy and Opie walking down a little mountain road there by a stream with fishing poles over their shoulders.’ And it’s all history after that.” Mike Thomas
Image via WikipediaI have commented a number of times about the "Slug-Dub" commercials and the ire they trigger in some people. Some people just spit out their strained peas when they saw people hitting others while a Routan drove by and the theme from "The Andy Griffith Show" played.
Image via WikipediaThe response of some is as if Volkswagen is a vestige of the Third Reich attempting the Fourth Reich by instilling the spirit of fascism in America. For the record, it was Mussolini and the Italians who were Fascists--never mind VW, watch out that Fiat doesn't corrupt America through Chrysler! The Third Reich was the invention of the National Socialists under Hitler. I never meant to bring politics into this, but if you listen to the Tea Party, Obama is trying to nationalize socialism here. How ironic, since the Nazis looked down on those of African descent as much as Little Rock and Montgomery did in the 1950s.
For those who are counting, I apologize that I can't work in Stalin, the Yugo and Bosnia, the Hutus and Tutsis, or General Tojo who supported Mitsubishi and the parent companies of Mazda, Suzuki, and Subaru. I can only offend so many people or car companies at a time.
The real reason for this blog entry is the reaction generated by this Volkswagen Jetta commercial:
Jason S. Harry, professional truck driver/blogger posted When Special Interest "Shoot the Gap" . The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has posted a comment on their Facebook page taking umbrage to this commercial and allowing others to vent their spleen. Jason takes a very reasoned view of the VW vs Safety vs Professional Drivers vs OOIDA issue, and comes to the conclusion that the majority of viewers would not assume that VW was instructing people to drive dangerously. Unfortunately, the majority of commenters seem to want to send a blitzkrieg against Wolfsburg (ironic because blitzkrieg was a German-named tactic and the advertizing agency is based in New York and Los Angeles) for having the audacity to show something that 1% of all drivers have never thought of doing and how the vilified professional driver will get the blame.
Jason makes some very good comments about the responses OOIDA receives. I'm sure he's indicating that the majority of professional drivers are not as knee-jerk as the commenters, just as the majority of Jetta (or any other 4-wheeler) drivers are not so brain dead as to pull a stunt to deliberately put 3 vehicles and their occupants in peril.
It occurs to me that the highways would be a safer place if we could put all the knee-jerkers and brain dead 4-wheelers in one room (the Superdome would be adequate, I think) so that they could act out their own nationally socialistic fascism upon the each other. The winner gets to clean up the mess.
Remember those Brady Bunch vacation episodes -- the ones always done as two-parters, where the entire family sets out for some remote destination and ends up crushed by a demonic surfboard? Well, Volkswagen and TLC have taken all that grooviness, packed it in a Routan minivan, and sent it hurtling down the highway in a new reality series for the web called "The Great Getaway".
As a general rule, we're not big fans of web-based TV series and their "webisodes" (terrible word, BTW). They frequently end up trying to be something they're not, like a sitcom or TV drama. When they don't live up to our expectations, we stop watching. They also tend to get lost in the internet shuffle, meaning that it's very hard to find them in the first place. But we're cautiously optimistic about "The Great Getaway".
The premise of the show is pretty simple: an average American family heads out for a summer vacation in their Volkswagen Routan. With five children, the Woods clan is probably bigger than most; many families of that size can't even afford to take vacations, and those who can often find the process daunting. But the Woods' kids are well-behaved, the mom is likable, and the dad is, too (though that shot of him eating frosting from a tub is kind of grossing us out). And of course, likable characters are what make a reality series watchable.
Even better, the Routan is made a very soft-sell. (That's a good thing.) Yes, it's prominently featured, but since the series is clearly sponsored by Volkswagen, it's not quite as egregious as "stealthy" mentions on other reality shows -- like, say, when Top Chef contestants "casually" name-check the Toyota Sienna, or when Work of Art participants are asked to design something inspired by Audi. Blech.
Bottom line: we're mostly onboard with "The Great Getaway". Well, apart from the fact that the series' videos aren't embeddable -- evidence of real stupidity on TLC's part -- and the punch-dub commercials that run before each episode. Still, we look forward to seeing more. Fingers crossed that the Woods end up locked in a ghost town jail soon.
MediaPost Publications
by Karl Greenberg, Yesterday, 3:28 PM
Volkswagen of America is touting its Routan minivan via a partnership with Discovery's TLC.com around family and travel. The Herndon, Va.-based automaker will be premier sponsor of family travel content on TLC.com, and will feature an original Webisode series titled "The Great Getaway," plus family-related travel information from destinations to tips for packing powered by Discovery-owned website HowStuffWorks.com.
"The Great Getaway," which launched on Wednesday, follows the seven-member Woods family on a road trip through Sedona, Ariz. The series, done reality-show style, begins with a segment showing the family bouncing around their ranchy house trying to get their act together, find iPods and the like, before hitting the road.
The automaker and TLC.com say the webisode series will run throughout the next three months, highlighting the family's travels and associated foibles as well as the antediluvian wonders of the Southwest, petrified trees, fossils, deserts and all. According to TLC, the Woods family was chosen through a casting call by TLC's talent resource center. The series was a joint project of TLC.com, Volkswagen and VW’s AOR for media, Deutsch.
The Routan minivan gets a starring role in the series, with the vehicle's features, such as roomy seating, foldaway seats, and storage capacity, and getting special attention when, for instance, the family is loading up and rolling out with their "Fun not foolish, safe not sorry" Tony Robbins-esque motto floating on the breeze as the car rolls away to Sedona.
Volkswagen will bookend the series with 30-second Routan TV spots before the segment, a drive to VW.com after, and a banner next to the video window. The Family Travel section on the TLC Family vertical will be VW-branded as well. The destination offers family-related tips and advice.
Harold Morgenstern, SVP advertising sales at Discovery Communications, tells Marketing Daily that VW is advertising on all Discovery's digital properties, including contextual and behavioral targeting.
VW launched the Routan in 2008 under the Das Auto banner with Brooke Shields as spokesperson. The campaign has continued with "Dub Punch" ads suggesting the minivan has a soul of a VW bug.
Morgenstern says Discovery has a long-standing relationship with Volkswagen. “Volkswagen approached the marketplace to help launch the Routan. Similarly, TLC.com was introducing their TLC Family vertical, which provided a perfect promotional platform for the Routan,” he says. “We proposed and created the webisode series specifically to and for the Routan.”
On Volkswagen Automobile Information you can find a post, "Should Obama Get a Black Volkswagen Routan?" While I dislike it's ranting language, and I don't understand the purpose of the comment, I find it funny on so many levels:
The Volkswagen Routan is enough of an icon to become a political statement. Wouldn't it be funny if the upcoming election pins the "Tea Baggers" against the "Routanists"? Or, is it the "Routanistas"?
The blogger ties the Volkswagen Routan to Hitler, yet all the critics exclaim that there is no German in it. It is a mini-van built in Windsor, Ontario by an American (purported) company that has a German automobile badge on it. Since Chrysler is now owned in part by Fiat, the blogger should have referenced Fascist Mussolini instead.
People complain about the commercial where people hit each other when they see a Routan. Now it is being used to bash Obama.
Since the Routan is bought from a company that Bush bailed out, and it creates jobs here in the United States, both parties could claim that it represents their ideals.
The "Tea Baggers" claim that the current administratrion's treatment of the Constitution is a travesty. Certain auto critics claim that the Volkswagen Routan is a badge-engineering travesty. In fact, didn't Chevrolet sell the "Travesty"? Oh, "Traverse".
I don't care what your views are of Obama and the current administration. I do know that more Routans are owned by the under 34-year-old crowd than any other minivan, and only the VW GTI has a higher percentage ownership by under 34-year-olds. It is hip, good looking, reliable, unique, and I got a great deal on mine.
Today I am proud to announce that work I’ve been the technical lead on was awarded two more effies. Both VW Routan Boom and OPEN Forum.
The effies represent a unique award in that it takes into account more than just the creative merit:
“Each year, the Effie Awards draw in thousands of campaigns with budgets ranging below $500k to $40m+, from local, boutique agencies and large multinationals – all entering to prove that they most effectively executed an idea that worked.
For those who come out on top of Effie’s rigorous judging process, their achievement is marked not only by their trophies/certificates and public recognition of a job well done, but it is also marked here in the Effie Winners’ Showcase.”
I have seen a couple more posts decrying the "violence" of "Punch Dub" and the desecrating of "The Andy Griffith Show."
First off, as to desecrating Opie, those people who watched the first runs and re-runs of "The Andy Griffith Show" also watched "The Three Stooges" and Warner Bros. cartoons. The things that happened to Wyle E. Coyote almost makes "Saving Private Ryan" seem tame. Even more damning, those same people also played "Punch Bug."
Pay close attention to these commercials. None of the passengers or owners of Volkswagens hit anybody. The Routan commercial that plays the "Andy Griffith" theme shows a family engaged in a common activity--it's their neighbors who are teaching the kids to be violent.
If VW or "Punch Dub" violence bothers you so much, start riding in a VW. And you must also avoid TV, movies,commercials, and discussion of the Bible's "End Times" if you want to insulate yourself from violence.
I always thought that Slug Bug was a game that you played whenever you saw a Volkswagen Beetle. What's up with the VW commercials that have people hitting each other when they see any VW car? I mean, don't get me wrong. I love that someone might get the opportunity to slug someone they know just because I happen to drive by them. But I wonder about the generalization of this very specific game. I am concerned that it's gone too mainstream.
And what do the people say when they see the cars? According to the commercial, one only needs to say what the color of the car is when they slug the person. "Red one." "Blue one." "Black one." Bam. Bop. Bam. I think they should have other little crazy rhymes for each model, as there is "slug bug."
I have gotten a couple of comments on posts relating to the Punch Dub game. In one of my previous posts I mused that Punch Dub might be a faux pas. Well, I don't know how strong the backlash is, but the campaign is getting people to notice Volkswagen and Routan.
If you play Punch Dub, you see how large a market share VW has. You also notice that Volkswagen is not just New Beetle or Jetta. They have vehicles in a number of segments, and there are a lot of older VWs still on the road. This was a masterful stroke on Deutch's part to get people to realize that VW is Americanized enough not to be a problem but European enough to let you feel you're in the same league as BMW, Porsche, and Ferrari.
The campaign has increased talk about VW as well. "Punch Dub is just bullying." "How did they get that baby to cry?" "They didn't have a brat punch an old man in the groin, did they?" "I'm not punching for Routans, that's just wrong." "Stevie Wonder knew what color that VW was--how did he do that." "Routan Dad takes his kids around the block twice so they can see their neighbors punch each other." "Tiguan, where?"
Compare that to talk about Toyota. "The new Lexus rolls over." "Man, Toyota can't build anything right." "Computer problem or not, they sure have a lot of trouble." "I'll never buy a Toyota." Toyota's sales numbers were not down last month. Toyota owners still have a lot of loyalty for the company.
But perceptions about the Toyota cars themselves are being formed. In the VW commercials, on the other hand, negative perceptions of the game and the commercials are being formed among some, but the cars themselves are getting noticed by people who wouldn't have given VW a thought otherwise. In a sense, if you hate Punch Dub it's not Volkswagen's fault.
Hitting for the game, social contact if you will, may be a good thing. People will touch and let themselves be touched in Punch Dub when they wouldn't otherwise. Social contact is good, even if not all social contact is pleasant. Those who turn the game pathologically violent didn't become pathologically violent because of the game. Society and their interaction with it warped them more profoundly than Punch Dub. (In a sense, Punch Dub helps us identify some pathologically violent so that we can get them help or avoid them.) Punch Dub can be an avenue to teach kids social boundaries.
I believe the physicality of Punch Dub can be socially acceptable. Can we say the same about toy guns and play shooting other people? So much of entertainment media feature violence. Gratuitous and excessive violence can be decried, and we must teach our children that violence is not socially acceptable. But what about the shows, movies, and games where the good guy accomplishes a good purpose by means of violence--often outside what is socially acceptable?
Bravo, Deutch. You got us talking and you got us seeing Volkswagens.
I am reminded of the age-old question: SUV or Minivan? Obviously as a minivan blogger, I have some leanings toward the latter. A recent blog post by Tom McKnight outlines the benefits and disadvantages of each and provides some insight as to what consumers should think about when making the decision for themselves (appearance, safety, utilitarianism, etc.) For me with two small children, safety was a huge factor; however, I must admit that the sexiness of a SUV was more appealing than that of the current minivan lineup.
So what can automakers do to entice consumers to purchase a minivan over an SUV? Also, does it make business sense to do so? The 2008 Volkswagen Routan marketing campaign was a step in the right direction by having Brooke Shields encourage parents to “have a baby for love, not for German engineering.” In addition the Routan was priced much lower ($25k) than it’s SUV counterpart, the Toureg ($40k). …
…The first rule of any good social media campaign is to make the audience your focal point and Volkswagen have a track-record of doing this better than most. …
PunchDub however is perhaps their most ambitious project to date. It began with a $6 million TV spot during the 2010 Super Bowl weekend, part of an integrated campaign to introduce a new game called ‘PunchDub’. This is a reworking of the classic kids travel game Punch Buggy (or Slug Bug), which is essentially a play-fight version of ‘Eye-Spy’ that entitles anyone who spots a VW Beetle to call out ‘punch buggy’ before dealing their unsuspecting fellow passenger a punch in the arm…
Volkswagen’s new ‘PunchDub’ game extends the rules to all models in the range, with each model having its own special style of punch to qualify for a subsequent points score.
You can read all the intricacies of the rule-book in a 23-page electronic guide on Volkswagen’s website, which explains how to deal virtual punches to your friends via Facebook Connect and the prizes available for the most successful players of the game.
The Machine Gun: continue punching rapidly until your pal moves away. Goes best with the Golf GTI
Another technique used by Volkswagen to foster engagement is the leaderboard on the PunchDub site, this shows the total number of punches recorded (273,303 as of 30-03-2010), most punches by a user and top vehicles which in case you’re interested ranks as follows;
Passat CC (42,823)
Golf GTI (36,510)
New Beetle Convertible (29,589)
Eos (25,068)
New Beetle (25,010)
Tiguan (23,706)
Touareg (23,464)
Jetta (23,372)
Routan Minivan (19,996)
Golf (16,702)
Now, getting back to those 8 videos that are currently available in the PunchDub series. The series kicks off with a short mockumentary starring a character called ‘Sluggy Patterson’ who allegedly started the PunchDub pastime 50 years ago. …
Comedian Tracy Morgan and soul legend Stevie Wonder star in VW
Volkswagen are hoping to create a genuine phenomenon that will outlast the campaign and introduce many new customers to the brand. So has it worked? Well let’s introduce you to the current series of videos and then let you decide…
VW PunchDub Commercial – TV commercial featuring soul singer Stevie Wonder and comedian Tracy Morgan [Unique views: 933,626]
How did he play PunchDub? – So how did Stevie Wonder play PunchDub when a red VW Jetta drove by? [Unique views: 15,499]
NEW: CC Reveal – VW’s Passat CC catches out an unwary car park attendant in this ad [Unique views: 610]
NEW: Tiguan Vroom – The Tiguan is the only compact SUV with a turbocharged engine as standard, cue another round of PunchDub [Unique views: 525]
User views are just one measure of a campaign’s success, another relevant outcome would be evidence of user-generated videos of which there are few – although several VW dealers have created a few.
Nearly 3,400 people are following Sluggy Patterson’s twitter feed which is being updated regularly and there are daily retweets and conversations on both Twitter and Facebook, so in terms of awareness and user engagement we’d judge this campaign as a success, although perhaps the high-volume of videos and fictional theme may have confused a few people.
Take a look for yourself at Volkswagen’s Channel on SkiddPlayer, they’re well executed, humorous and a good example of the type of social media campaign you can expect to see more of in future.
*Source: YouTube/SkiddPlayer as of 30th March 2010
This is not an official release from Volkswagen of America. February Routan sales increased year over year, and it increased it's market share % over 2009. Model awareness is building now that ad agency Deutch is placing Routan ads on TV. They have resurrected the "Wet Boy" spot for the time being. The Punch Dub ads not only feature the Routan, but by playing the game the public increases their awareness of the modern Volkswagen. On February 6, 2008, Associated Press reported, in part: "[Volkswagen of America President and CEO Stefan] Jacoby said the minivan market still is approaching 1 million vehicles a year, and Volkswagen would like to capture 3 to 5 per cent of that." PRNewswire published the February and YTD sales figures of the auto-makers who sell in the U.S. From these reports, we glean the following data: Brand YTD - 02/10 Chrysler 13,180 Dodge 13,688 Honda 12,315 Kia 1,906 Mazda 3,602 Nissan 116 (discontinued) Toyota 6,615 Volkswagen 1,824 Total 53,246 Volkswagen's market share of van sales is 3.43%, right where Volkswagen of America was aiming for. Volkswagen has gained market share where they had none.
My kudos to Deutsch LA in their work on the Punch Dub campaign.
In preliminary buzz, we heard a lot about "Sluggy" Patterson, the inventor of "Punch Buggy" or "Slug Bug." Some of us cared about knowing more, and others didn't. I don't know who orchestrated the social media presence, but you could learn more about him--reach out and slug him, so to speak--on Twitter and Facebook, if you cared to do so.
Shortly after word got out that Tracy Morgan was going to cameo in the Super Bowl ad, a comment or two went up tying Tracy Morgan and his past problems with the game, and how they both encouraged domestic violence.
I'm assuming--but I didn't bother to look it up--that Deutsch runs the Audi campaign as well. After the fact, I learn that "Green Police" was the Nazi Constabulary.
I saw a thread running here. It reminded me of an "Are You Being Served" episode where the department store decided to have a German week, and Mister Grainger had to deal with a German tourist who wanted to buy a British Tweed jacket. Mister Grainger wanted to sell the German tourist one of those Bavarian caps that have what looks like a shaving brush stuck to the side. After exchanging comments like "Aren't you proud of being British," and "Aren't you proud of being German," the German tourist storms out (like a trooper?) spouting German, and Mr. Grainger saying "Damn, Bosch. We did win the war, you know."
It also reminded me of an episode of an episode of "Fawlty Towers" where John Cleese as Basil Fawlty goes over the top dealing with German tourists and ends up putting a comb under his nose like a moustache and goose-stepping around the dining room.
I could see the "Punch Dub" campaign spiralling down like a Messerschmidt in flames. You'd have Tracy Morgan reminding people of how Jesse Owens rubbed salt into the Nazi's wounds at the Berlin Olympics, but also kindling the idea that violence is a form of recreation. Max the Beetle would show up in black with red zigzags on its side and a stubby mustache on its front. A German helmetted driver would pass by in a Thing (which is in reality a WWII German Jeep-equivalent) Max would start spewing Hitleresque diatribe about das Volks Wagen (the People's Car) and World domination of the auto market.
But Deutsch pulled it all off by not only not staving off anti-Semitic/anti-Germanic hate/fear/dread/loathing, but making people feel good about recognizing automobiles that are well designed, engineered for the World Market, and that meet the needs and sensibilities of Americans--with humor.
Some concentrated on Tracy Morgan, but Deutsch made Tracy a prop to Stevie Wonder-the Ambassador to World Peace. What a great stroke of genius. Not only did Stevie Wonder "see" the VW and punch Tracy first, he even declared the color. Tracy said, "How did he do that?" Well, here is a YouTube explaining how he did it.
The music Deutsch chose was fitting, as well. It's indie-folk rock. I gather this genre exists and thrives due to the iPod and MP3 players, so it is fitting for the iPod crowd. It is trendy, cutting edge, and has a"literati" feel to it. It is not jarring for those of us who are aging hippies. (And after seeing "The Who," we realized that "our music" just might be killing us--look what it did to band!)
The song is "Two Weeks" by "Grizzly Bear". I found a new bad to follow. I hear a little Billy Joel/Jackson Brown feel to it--not in a derivative way. Here is the song as it was played on David Letterman.
In reviewing the traffic on my blog, I see that I got a lot of hits related to a search for the name of the song used in the "Punch Dub" spot. Here is perhaps a more definitive answer to the question from someone who is surely much more knowledgeable of current music than I am.
You probably played the "slug bug" game when you were a kid -- punching the poor soul who happened to be within arm's reach as a Volkswagen rolled by -- and the nostalgia certainly isn't lost on the German automaker, whose "Punch Dub" commercial aired in the third quarter of the Super Bowl with the dreamy vocal harmonies of indie folk-rock band Grizzly Bear's 'Two Weeks' wafting in the background. Based in Brooklyn, Grizzly Bear came onto the scene in the early '00s playing alongside as varied acts as fellow indie group The Dirty Projectors, alt-rock legends Radiohead, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. 'Two Weeks' is the second track off the group's hugely popular third album, 'Veckatimest,' released in May 2009 and named after a tiny island on Cape Cod. It's also the first single off the record. And while the band has been largely popular with music critics ('Two Weeks' ranked as no. 162 in Pitchfork Media's Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s, and 'Veckatimest' was voted Stereogum's 2nd best album of 2009) and mainstream media as a whole (the VW ad, of course, and also an episode of the CBS sitcom 'How I Met Your Mother'), they've still retained many of their original rabid fans -- one so much than he made a very cool CGI video homage to 'Two Weeks.' Check it out alongside the VW commercial after the jump.
This is an excerpt from an excellent post. I wanted to highlight the Volkswagen and Audi ads. Volkswagen has gotten a lot of flack lately over their misunderstood or poorly accepted “Don’t have a baby for German engineering” Brooke Shields series. The series with spokes-Bug Max got old fast. A lot of people missed the point of “The Family of the Future” spot for the Routan—although I did buy a white jumpsuit right after I bought my Routan. (The wife wouldn’t shave her head, though.)
Volkswagen then fired their ad agency at the worst time for the launch of the Routan. The CC hasn’t gotten a lot of recognition, either. It appears the Deutch agency is doing work that is at least critically acclaimed and focused.
On a side note, I didn’t realize that Nazi Germany’s police force was known as “Green Police.” That is an unfortunate quirk of history. Today, the market for VWs and Audis would associate the term with ecology and looming legislation. I suspect those who made the Nazi connection have already exorcized those demons or would never own anything manufactured by a company who was associated with Hitler’s “People’s Car”.
In recent months, I have been working diligently to expand my social media network. In my quest to build an online presence and to learn what social media is all about, I met Chris Baccus (@cbaccus). Chris is a digital brand guru from Detroit who has a successful blog and loves his red BMW 335i.
A few weeks ago, he invited me to collaborate with him on a "She Said, He Said" piece all about the automotive industry ads airing during Super Bowl XLIV. Here is our take on we saw during the game last night. Volkswagen “PunchDub” SHE SAID: Having a brother six years my senior, my upper arm could never forget the pain it endured from the “Punch Bug” game of my childhood. There was a “Punch Bug” graveyard on the way to our Aunt and Uncle’s lake house that housed hundreds of broken down and beat up VW Bugs. My brother and I played the game every time we went to their place, both of us anxiously awaiting that lot. Whoever spotted it first not only won the game but also had the pleasure of endlessly punching his opponent in the arm. The VW “Punch Dub” ad appealed to anyone old enough to remember the original VW Bug. It successfully spanned demographics both through the characters in the commercial and in its appeal. While memorable, I don’t think this commercial ignited a new game of “Punch Dub” in America. I doubt kids riding in their mom’s Routan today are looking for other VW’s so they can punch each other and shout a color. HE SAID: This ad was an early favorite at the party I attended. People really enjoyed the end with Stevie Wonder and Tracy Morgan. In the beginning, it was a bit confusing to those who may not be familiar with the ‘punch bug’ game the concept is developed from, but it is effectively communicated in the 60 seconds. Most surprising about the campaign is how VW extended the idea online with a video called “How did he play PunchDub?” where Stevie Wonder educates the viewer about a device that helps the blind “see” colors. It is a nice extension of the Super Bowl ad. It was also nice to see VW not bring in the online personality of “Sluggy Patterson” who is currently leading the campaign through social media (see my blog post for more information.) VW realized the difference between online and TV and showcased PunchDub in a way that was more accessible to the large audience of the Super Bowl while maintaining the integrity of the campaign. This was by far my favorite ad from the industry Sunday night. It was simple, memorable and effective in communicating a passion for the brand. Plus I believe VW will build on the success of the ad as it continues to evolve the campaign. Audi “Green Police” SHE SAID: Audi’s commercial was much better than the PSA previews the company aired ahead of Super Bowl XLIV. I liked the rock n’ roll tune and the way Audi brought all of it together to highlight the product. Personally, I love the Audi A3 TDI – and it won Green Car Journal’s 2010 Green Car of the Year Award – so it wasn’t a tough sell from that perspective. The German automaker was targeted greenies and car enthusiasts alike by wittily excusing the A3 TDI from a “Green Police” Eco Check Point. Car enthusiasts like me also enjoyed hearing the TDI’s exhaust and power as it navigated its way out of the checkpoint, dodging green traffic cones and speeding off into an enviro-conscious sunset. HE SAID: In a world of Eco-Guilt, Audi decides to mock the ridiculousness of it all with a crew of police patrolmen busting yuppies and teens for all kinds of environmental mistakes. Eco-Guilt is a developing trend where people feel they are not doing enough for the environment. Even Oprah Winfrey’s “O” magazine covered the topic demonstrating there is a cultural awareness about the behavior. Audi received some early criticism around using “Green Police” which was a phrase used to describe Nazi Germany’s police force. Very few know about the history and it became a minor issue for the brand online, but soon dissipated after most acknowledged the “Green Police” name was about environmental “policing” for those not in environmental compliance and was simply a poor naming choice by the marketing team. Cheap Trick did the soundtrack for the ad and the situations busting people for wrong light bulbs, using plastic bottles, and choosing plastic bags at the supermarket. The ad ends on a couple high notes with the “Eco Check” police checkpoint that lets the Audi A3 TDI go ahead and with cops stopping cops for using Styrofoam coffee cups. The ad received predominantly positive buzz online, which tells me it did get its message across effectively. Overall it’s another win for the Volkswagen Group.
This is not an official release from Volkswagen of America.
January Routan sales increased year over year, and it increased it's market share % over 2009. Model awareness is building now that ad agency Deutch is placing Routan ads on TV. They have resurrected the "Wet Boy" spot for the time being. Volkswagen starts a brand-strengthening campaign with a commercial during the Super Bowl.
On February 6, 2008, Associated Press reported, in part: "[Volkswagen of America President and CEO Stefan] Jacoby said the minivan market still is approaching 1 million vehicles a year, and Volkswagen would like to capture 3 to 5 per cent of that."
PRNewswire published the January and YTD sales figures of the auto-makers who sell in the U.S. From these reports, we glean the following data:
Brand YTD - 01/10
Chrysler 4,531
Dodge 4,298
Honda 4,863
Hyundai 0 (discontinued)
Kia 928
Mazda 1,627
Nissan 73 (discontinued)
Toyota 2,582
Volkswagen 704
Total 19,606
Volkswagen's market share of sales is 3.59%, right where Volkswagen of America was aiming for. Volkswagen has gained market share where they had none.
VW caught some flak over the Brooke Shields commercials supposedly advocating against having babies just to get German engineering. This was part of the Routan campaign. Now Volkswagen is releasing a brand identification campaign based on the “Slug Bug” or “Punch Buggy” game. People, such as blogger Richard Read quoted below, are saying that VW is advocating family violence with this campaign. Come on, lighten up! All right, I grew up the oldest of 3 kids and I liked pummeling my younger brother (my baby sister cried too much and got us in trouble if we included her). But the degree of harm inflicted is minuscule compared to the mean, sadistic, twisted torture we inflicted upon each other at other times. We survived it and grew up normal. We even speak to each other. Is this campaign another mis-guided attempt at humor? Well, what would you expect from the Germans, a people not particularly known for its comedy. Security was high during the Berlin Olympics, and all of the athletes were registered. The security agent asked one athlete, “Are you a pole vaulter?” He replied, “No, Hungarian. But how did you know my name vas Valter?”
Volkswagen & Tracy Morgan Make Violence Fun With 'Punch Dub' - The Car Connection Richard Read January 29th, 2010 Tracy Morgan Enlarge Photo 2011 Volkswagen Golf R Enlarge Photo If you grew up in a large family, you probably remember "Punch Buggy", the road-trip game that allowed the first kid in the car to spot a Volkswagen Beetle the opportunity to punch a sibling in the arm. Now, VW is hoping to resuscitate the fun of family violence with its new "Punch Dub" campaign, which launches during the Superbowl broadcast on February 7. According to a company press release, "The ad, which includes a special cameo by actor and comedian Tracy Morgan, will show a variety of people in different driving situations gently slugging others in the arm every time they spot a Routan, Tiguan, CC or any other Volkswagen model." Yeah, "gently slugging" is exactly how we remember it. But don't think that Morgan will be the only one enjoying fist-fights and driving distractions. You, too, can join in the fun when VW launches the "Punch Dub" game, which will "encourage people to dole out virtual 'slugs' to friends and family" through VW's Facebook page. And just like in real life, violence has its rewards: "The more friends you punch, the better your chances are of winning a weekly prize (6-month leases on specific vehicles listed online) and the Grand Prize: a new Volkswagen CC." Of course, if VW had asked us for input, we'd have told them that we prefer the 2011 Volkswagen Golf R to the Volkswagen CC. We might've also reminded the company about Morgan's history as a convicted drunk-driver and alleged groper, which seems an unfortunate tie-in for a campaign that's about beating up people while driving. But whatever: those Routan ads with Brooke Shields proved once and for all that VW's marketing team totally know what they're doing.
Introduces Classic "Punch Buggy" Game with Modern Day Twist; Super Bowl Ad Features Cameo from Actor and Comedian
Yahoo! Finance Press Release Source: Volkswagen of America, Inc. On Thursday January 28, 2010, 1:48 pm EST HERNDON, Va. Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today a new campaign called "Punch Dub," an update on the classic Punch Buggy game, designed to increase model awareness and familiarity by reminding consumers of all the Volkswagens on the road. Â The "Punch Dub" campaign is based on the classic game that kids used to play back in the original Beetle's heyday called "Punch Buggy" (or "Slug Bug"), where the first person to see a Beetle would yell, "Punch Bug" and playfully slug his or her friend. Â Volkswagen will debut the "Punch Dub" (as in VEE-Dub) campaign in a 30-second ad during the third quarter of Super Bowl XLIV and through a new online campaign. The ad, which includes a special cameo by actor and comedian Tracy Morgan, will show a variety of people in different driving situations gently slugging others in the arm every time they spot a Routan, Tiguan, CC or any other Volkswagen model. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100128/PH45688 ) "Punch Dub is a fun, engaging way to reintroduce Volkswagen and its growing product family to millions of Americans during one of the most watched television events of the year, the Super Bowl," said Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing, Volkswagen of America. Â "The campaign is a modern twist on a classic game that has been played on America's highways for generations and will help consumers gain a new perspective on the breadth of our vehicle offerings, quality, performance and value." "Volkswagen is one of the most beloved brands in this country, but people have a misperception that it only sells cars for the young. We needed to find a way to let people know that Volkswagen makes thirteen different models, in a way that still felt right for the brand," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO/Chief Creative Officer of Deutsch LA. "Changing the game of 'Punch Bug' to the game of 'Punch Dub' and making it about all Volkswagen is the perfect way to do that. It tells you something nobody knows in a way that everyone can relate to." Volkswagen is also revealing that it has found the creator of the original game, Charlie "Sluggy" Patterson. Â Fans can interact with Sluggy beginning today with a special blog and Twitter feed (http://www.sluggy.posterous.com/ and www.twitter.com/sluggypatterson) and in a series of videos on You Tube (www.youtube.com/vw). An online version of "Punch Dub" (www.facebook.com/vw) will launch on Super Bowl Sunday and will engage people with the entire Volkswagen product family and encourage people to dole out virtual "slugs" to friends and family. Players will simply pick any one of thirteen Volkswagen vehicles, customize their punch and choose a Facebook friend. Â An online guide will help players develop and hone their punching techniques. Â The more friends you punch, the better your chances are of winning a weekly prize (6-month leases on specific vehicles listed online) and the Grand Prize: a new Volkswagen CC. The Super Bowl spot and "Punch Dub" campaign were developed for Volkswagen by its new creative agency, Deutsch LA. Â For more information on Volkswagen and "Punch Dub", visit http://www.media.vw.com/.
Image via Wikipedia
Image via WikipediaImage via Wikipedia
Image by Getty Images via @daylifeWritten by the late Chicago-born composer Earle Hagen — who died in 2008 …— the opening theme to “The Andy Griffith Show” immediately evokes a more innocent time and place where honesty, integrity, friendship and family were always paramount. It currently can be heard in a commercial for the Volkswagen Routan minivan …
