VW says goodbye to its iconic Beetle

VW is in the midst of a massive brand overhaul. It’s trying to re-establish relevance in the U.S., re-imagine its model lineup, fade memories of a reputation damaging emissions scandal and, all the while, find some way to tap into its deep cultural relevance in this country.

Some of the early marketing and advertising efforts as part of the brand “refresh” have been markedly different and attention-grabbing. The net result of all the efforts remains to be seen as bottom line success will take time to assess. It’s in this context that the latest spot from “the new VW” debuted on New Year’s Eve.

This one references one of the older icons in the VW archives — the unmistakable Beetle. The Beetle ceased production and drove off into the proverbial sunset in 2019. The spot, entitled “The Last Mile,” is an homage to that farewell.

[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKuYXNLGlOc&w=854&h=480]

So, what do you think? Again, I applaud the creativity behind the spot itself. The art, the music, the subtle nods to cultural moments, people and messages (they’re hidden, but you can find them). According to AdAge, this will be part of a significant media buy and accompanying influencer strategy, with notables sharing their personal Beetles and related experiences. As the story notes, “ a sizable investment in a campaign for a car that won’t be sold again.”

Of course, the ad is not trying to sell Beetles. It’s an attempt to remind Americans of the brand and rekindle some of that magic. Harness the heritage to benefit the future. My questions are mainly about the use of animation and the takeaway. The former is brought up in the same AdAge piece. Johannes Leonardo’s co-founder and co-chief creative officer provides the animation rationale as follows:

…part of the reason we wanted to animate this film is to really to paint everybody who's in it, irrelevant of how famous they are, with the same brush—to really put everyone on the same footing” 

Sure, animation does that. But, in this case, I think it takes away from the emotion, the power and, ultimately, the purpose. The chills come with the real moments and memories. Images and footage that VW (and only VW) could authentically own. Pictures, still and moving, that could drive realization of just how etched into our American fabric the Beetle is and was. Something hard to depict via animation, no matter how clever. To me, it ends up feeling too soft.

The second question…on takeaway…is more complicated. This is not a spot where a blatant product push makes sense. But what’s the bridge? Again, it’s muted in a similar manner to the ending of the “Hello Darkness” spot. It’s awareness vs. action. Branding vs. sales. But, ultimately, what do you want people to do and will the brand buzz from this effort accomplish that?