VW Ad That Didn't Make It (Probably a good thing)
- Thread starter Abdoman
- Start date
I am glad they had the good taste to pull it, but it would have been quite funny otherwise, recent international events not withstanding. The world has become way too PC. I don't think it is fair to make light of tragic situations, but if we can't sit back and have a laugh from time to time, where would we be?
It's not making fun in any way of any victim of a terrorist bombing - terrorist bombings where the terrorist parks a car and blows himself up have happened - we can't ignore that, we can't pretend it didn't happen. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to make any ads featuring situations where people have died. better not make an ad where a ship hits an iceberg and sinks - descendants of Titanic victims will complain. Can't make a movie where a burgular breaks into a house and kills the owners - someone might be offended if it happened to a family member. See its just bloody ridiculous.
People have become way too sensitive - we need to realise that humour can have healing effects as well as hurtful ones - I am sick of people complaining about ads that may be un-PC. We had one in NZ recently - someone complained because an ad made light of a person with dyslexia - they thought that it was unfair singling out dyslexics - but the ad wasn't offensive, it made fun of dyslexics, yes, but didn't portray them to be inferior, but it did poke a bit of friendly fun at their condition - most dyslexics seemed to see the funny side and thought the ad was great - those that complained in the most part didn't even have dyslexia - they were just poking their nose in because they have nothing better to do. Well they can stick it as far as I am concerned - oops, I probably offended someone. Tough, i'm not sorry.
Get my point?
OK, I'm done - flame away!
It's not making fun in any way of any victim of a terrorist bombing - terrorist bombings where the terrorist parks a car and blows himself up have happened - we can't ignore that, we can't pretend it didn't happen. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to make any ads featuring situations where people have died. better not make an ad where a ship hits an iceberg and sinks - descendants of Titanic victims will complain. Can't make a movie where a burgular breaks into a house and kills the owners - someone might be offended if it happened to a family member. See its just bloody ridiculous.
People have become way too sensitive - we need to realise that humour can have healing effects as well as hurtful ones - I am sick of people complaining about ads that may be un-PC. We had one in NZ recently - someone complained because an ad made light of a person with dyslexia - they thought that it was unfair singling out dyslexics - but the ad wasn't offensive, it made fun of dyslexics, yes, but didn't portray them to be inferior, but it did poke a bit of friendly fun at their condition - most dyslexics seemed to see the funny side and thought the ad was great - those that complained in the most part didn't even have dyslexia - they were just poking their nose in because they have nothing better to do. Well they can stick it as far as I am concerned - oops, I probably offended someone. Tough, i'm not sorry.
Get my point?
OK, I'm done - flame away!
I think it is making a point regarding the durability of the car (which is a HUGE issue esp. with many new cars not up to scratch on this) the ad is supposed to make you chuckle and then remember the brand. I would hate to speculate on how many ads use humour to promote their products without actually being informative as to the actual attributes of the product - brand awareness is what its all about.
Obviously the car will not withstand a bomb blast from the inside - but it is a fun way of saying - we make durable cars that will last. We make QUALITY. I presume it was a part of a series that pointed at all of the cars attributes, and this was just one of those.
It is a matter of opinion whether this is a good ad or not - I am not so taken by it that I will defend my opinion of it, but I do stand by my stand on pulling ads simply because they are not PC.
Obviously the car will not withstand a bomb blast from the inside - but it is a fun way of saying - we make durable cars that will last. We make QUALITY. I presume it was a part of a series that pointed at all of the cars attributes, and this was just one of those.
It is a matter of opinion whether this is a good ad or not - I am not so taken by it that I will defend my opinion of it, but I do stand by my stand on pulling ads simply because they are not PC.
I saw this "ad" on the internet a few weeks ago. After doing some other reading about it, I found out that it isn't a real ad. Someone made it themselves and distributed it on the internet as a real VW ad. VW is very pissed about it and is apparently trying to press charges against the person who made it.
Just thought you might like to know. Neither VW nor their ad agency had nothing to do with it.
Just thought you might like to know. Neither VW nor their ad agency had nothing to do with it.
UPDATE from CNN:
FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) -- The creators of a hoax advertisement for Volkswagen AG's Polo car that has circulated on the Internet have apologized and promised not to repeat it, Europe's biggest carmaker said on Monday.
The so-called viral ad -- unauthorized by Volkswagen or its advertising agencies -- shows a suicide bomber detonating his explosives in a Polo parked outside a busy cafe, only to have the car absorb the blast.
The 20-second advert ends with the Volkswagen logo and the Polo's actual advertising motto: Small but Tough.
Volkswagen said in a statement it had received sworn statements from the two creators -- Dan Brooks and Lee Ford -- acknowledging that they made the ad but had not intended for it to be distributed.
FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) -- The creators of a hoax advertisement for Volkswagen AG's Polo car that has circulated on the Internet have apologized and promised not to repeat it, Europe's biggest carmaker said on Monday.
The so-called viral ad -- unauthorized by Volkswagen or its advertising agencies -- shows a suicide bomber detonating his explosives in a Polo parked outside a busy cafe, only to have the car absorb the blast.
The 20-second advert ends with the Volkswagen logo and the Polo's actual advertising motto: Small but Tough.
Volkswagen said in a statement it had received sworn statements from the two creators -- Dan Brooks and Lee Ford -- acknowledging that they made the ad but had not intended for it to be distributed.