Lemon

           Volkswagen ad campaign was far from a lemon

 One campaign did much more than boost sales and build a lifetime of brand loyalty. It's the 1960s ad campaign for the Volkswagen Beetle. It, and the work of the ad agency behind it, changed the very nature of advertising, from the way it's created to what you see as a consumer today. (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/1999/11/22/smallb7.html?page=all).

America loved 1960s Volkswagen Beetle advertising, and with good reason. In an age of blustery pitches glorifying size, power, and prestige, 1960s Volkswagen Beetle advertising was the calm voice for a different set of values. Plus, it made you smile. The understated style was introduced in 1959 by New York ad agency Doyle Dane Bernbach. Volkswagen hired the Doyle Dane Bernbach ad agency to create a campaign that would introduce the Beetle to the U.S. market in 1960.

I love how the Company makes fun of how small the car is and how if you run out of gas it easy to push. A car that was the cheapest, in three years after the powerful ad became the most expensive.

 They set up this ideal car and told you why the VW wasn’t anything like it, then they bashed in the straw man by telling you how this was a good thing. The VW isn’t fast, so it doesn’t guzzle gas, burn through tires or need frequent repairs. Wait, that sounds pretty nice actually. It’s not fast, it’s smart. That was something average, every day Joes could identify with and even find desirable. (http://designshack.net/articles/graphics/the-greatest-print-campaigns-of-all-time-volkswagen-think-small/).

Also note how the car is discussed in the ads. It’s frequently referred to as a “VW” instead of a Volkswagen. Volkswagen is a mouthful that doesn’t remotely sound American. VW is cool, fresh, simple and friendly. They planted this thought in your head without you even realizing it!