Who created THE kick ass campaign?
Let’s talk about a single brand. So big, so important, that it is known on every continent. Reliable.
We’re talking about a successful brand which employs extremely capable people. Naturally, an army of marketers too. A proven formula? This brand effectively started an advertising campaign in September last year, globally, and has been adding fuel to the fire ever since. Very effective!
How much does a campaign that big cost? How much, considering the fact it covered prime time radio and TV? Plus, it was huge on social media too!
A billion? Two? Ten? One hundred? The level of investment will probably become clearer over time, but it’s interesting to note that the person responsible for the brand in the US market, Mr. Horn, evaluated the campaign with the words: "We totally screwed up!”
What?!? How can such an effective campaign, developed no less by a hugely experienced team, be evaluated as a screw up? Did Mr. Horn lie or was he trying to elude us?
Even the CEO resigned, blownout of the water by the Passat wind. He had no prior knowledge of the campaign, nor was he directly responsible for it's conception or execution.
Do you beleive the VW CEO? Do you? Did JFK go to the eternal hunting grounds as a result of Lee H. Oswald's finger tip? Did you beleive Gorbachev in 1986 when he said that the Western world is exaggerating the damage assessment in Chernobyl? Do you remember Miss Lewinsky? Hillary certainly will not forget her… Did Bill lie? And just recently, did European politicians shamelessly lie too? They said that refugees are well funded and educated. However, it has turned out that 16% of Muslim migrants are illiterate and only 10% are educated enough to be able to find work in Germany.
Speaking of Germany and screw ups... What if the VW campaign was created on purpose? What if It was all very well planned? Don’t forget: Although the records on the effectiveness of negative political ads are inconclusive, campaign consultants clearly believe in their power, which explains why negative ads are so often used.
One thing is certain: such a large-scale campaign needed to count on a huge investment, and VW has long been developing their electric drive. My guess is VW will eventually become all green, and they will then market themselves as such.
Was it all really a flop?… Or was it just a perfectly designed brand campaign? :)