In the 2006 Initial Quality Study from J. D. Power and Associates, only Isuzu (191) and Land Rover (204) ranked lower than Volkswagen that was tied with Hummer at 171 in problems per 100 vehicles.
For comparison, Porsche, also made in Germany, and fully “pimped” straight from the factory, had 91 and Lexus 93.
Hyundai, which not too long ago, was at the bottom of quality surveys, implemented an amazing 10 year warranty a few years back, and now only has 102 problems per 100. Toyota, long known for quality came in with 106.
There is an adage that great advertising will kill a bad product faster than bad advertising will kill a great product, and with VW hiring the brand magicians at Crispin Porter + Bogusky, is VW committing suicide?
Crispin did wonders with the Mini (which had 150 problems per 100) but abandoned the brand (spending about $35 million a year) for VW (spending $330 million a year) when the Mini brand manager moved to VW.
So far, interest and sales of VW are on the upswing, as is a quality move within VW, but could the answer be partially in VW’s hands - offer a bulletproof warranty and have VW take responsibility for what they build?
One of the beautiful things about Crispin is that they are willing to go outside the traditional confines of what an ad agency is “supposed to do” and offer sound business advice. Some in the auto business laughed at Crispin rebranding the VW Golf back to it’s original “VW Rabbit” badge. Considering that neither econobox sold as well as the Bug- which was known for its quality, dependability and value- qualities that have escaped VW since the Bug’s departure from the line up.
Note: if you click on the frame- you will get a pop up window to the spot.
The song is “The Birds and the Bees” By Patrick and Eugene.
You can visit the iTunes store for this album by clicking this link: Postcard from Summerisle and the catchy lyrics are:
The sky is perfect blue
No clouds could spoil the view
It’s a sign from above
That shows that we’re in love
All the birds and the bees
Are flying in the trees
The sun is in the sky
Just for you and I
the VW site promises to tell you this stuff- but they don’t have the spot loaded yet.
Consumers already have a bullshit detector when it comes to advertising- and with VW’s reputation for quality in tatters, the current crop of entertaining ads are a solid attempt to bring back some of the love for early VW advertising- with it’s self-deprecating cheekiness.
The big question will be answered next year, when JD Power rankings come out, and VW will learn if the cost of selling more cars is an even worse ranking- or a huge move up in perceived quality thanks to actual better quality- and a halo effect from good advertising.
The day of the Mega-Agency for Mega-Accounts may be nearly over. Car accounts, once only could go to the largest network agencies, with their large overhead, and even larger expense accounts.
Cadillac left Leo Burnett for upstart Modernista who has handled the Hummer account since it’s launch. Similar to the Crispin Porter + Bogusky win of VW, the move followed a move of the marketing chief from one brand to the other.
Unlike VW, Cadillac has a brand that has credible product- but is still not connecting with all its target markets with the right voice. The Burnett produced fashion show spot for the new Escalade that aired in the SuperBowl was blamed for the switch- but, once again- car clients are looking for excitement about their brand- generated by advertising, as opposed to being generated by the merits of the vehicle.
Toyota sells a ton of vehicles in this country- with the most unremarkable advertising- but a high quality, high value, reliable product.
We believe that there are more cost effective ways to market motor vehicles- including a total rebuilding of the dealer networks. Look to what Harley Davidson, Apple and Nike have done with their brand experience retail destinations for a look at what the future of automotive retailing should look like.
It’s not the agency that’s the problem in most cases- it’s the manufacturers who still haven’t let go of their old ways of doing business. The questions is can small ad agencies keep the creative energy and freshness once they land one of these monster accounts- and come under the watchful eye of the old school masters in a new school world?
It will be interesting to see what Modernista does with Cadillac- and if they will be able to hold on to Hummer too.
As far as I can see there are only two TV campaigns out there that I want to watch over and over.
I’ve talked about both of them in previous posts.
Two of the best agencies- according to Ad Age- and according to me: Wieden + Kennedy and Crispin Porter Bogusky, and two very different clients.
When you say “Nike” – you are really saying “Wieden + Kennedy”- the agency has been there almost from the start. All the emotions, all the brand karma – come from this long, sacred relationship between marketer and agency. The latest spots for the “Jumpman” brand- are beautiful. They’ve taken Michael Jordan and made him fresh- they’ve also introduced another classic tagline- “Let your game speak” which may not be “Just do it”- but it’s what Adidas, Reebok and others should have come up with long ago.
It’s also what good advertising should do- let the product speak by itself- without that announcer voice telling you what to think about what you are looking at.
The fact that this “2nd generation” spot has no spoken words in it- yet works- moves it to the top of my list. That they can just take a scene from it- and run it with the logo as a 5 second break- says even more. Granted- we had at least a dozen years of watching Michael Jordan do things on a basketball court that made highlight reels over and over.
In :30 seconds, W+K evokes my emotion- it makes me feel, it moves me, and I’m not even a huge basketball fan. I’ll never buy basketball shoes- just like I’ll never palm a basketball, but, if I did- I’d think that there was some bit of magic in those soles that would move me the way Jordan could.
VW is another story. I grew up loving VW’s – I learned to drive in a ’72 Beetle. This was the brand that helped launch modern advertising- with Bernbach and his “lemon” ad. Then the eighties came- and VW ignored everything that made them what they were- and lost their market share and their brand position- that of inexpensive, reliable and not being a slave to fashion. They also started going through ad agencies like babies go through diapers. Then they landed with a smaller agency out of Boston called “Arnold.” Their “Drivers wanted” started to reconnect the idea of a car as something fun to drive- instead of being about displaying your ___________ (insert ego, machismo, status etc.). The campaigns were simple, they didn’t have the VO saying “with it’s 2.4 liter, double overhead cam drive blah, blah, blah” (Detroit, take note), and they created positive emotional ties between you and your VW- be it driving around town picking up old furniture or taking a drive with friends with the top down on a star lit night.
The campaign did the job- VW didn’t. The cars quality wasn’t there, and these aren’t tennis shoes with a 6 month shelf life- it’s a car- the second largest purchase people make. After years of screwing their customers, they hired a new marketing chief- and said screw you to the agency that bought them a second chance.
Now we have Crispin Porter + Bogusky telling us to “Unpimp your auto.”
From an entertainment standpoint- I love these spots- I laugh at tuner cars all the time. For as much as these kids put into a Subaru WRX, Honda Civic, Dodge Neon, etc- they could have a lot more car. I’d take a used Boxter over a hopped up Civic any day- and I imagine most women would rather say “My boyfriend drives a Porsche” than “my boyfriend has an Eclipse” or- a “Mark V GTI from VW- pretuned by German engineers.”
These spots stick in my head like a bad song on your clock radio that wakes you up from a deep sleep- and then doesn’t go away all day- think “My Sharona” by “The Knack” and then some. That says to me they are good advertising- they cut through the clutter- especially car ads- which as a category are more formulaic than a Big Mac (two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickle, onion on a sesame seed bun- and yes- that tagline has stuck with me for over 30 years).
But, while the Jordan Next gen ads leave me with a feeling of love and awe- the UnPimp spots leave me feeling – well, entertained and that’s it. Yes, people will talk about the spots, and some may now think about VW again- and may go out and look at one- but, in the grand land of automobile choices- I’m not sure I want to own a car that is unPimped- or even associated with that entire genre of transportation.
Granted, I’m not in the tuner car demo- but the VW base price is at least $5K more than the cars they are making fun of. Not only that- the ads local dealers are running in the papers don’t connect at all with this new “campaign.” While this kind of entertainment may work for something like Burger King- where franchises don’t run their own ads- and proudly display anything that is sent down from corporate- the dealers have to be part of the entire buyer experience. Are we going to see lab coats on the sales floor next?
So- as much as it makes me chuckle, and that I enjoy watching it- CP+B need to go back to the drawing board- “Drivers Wanted” beats doing what ever it is with your “fast” any day. And W+K deserves a second shot (they has Subaru for 2 years) at a car account.
My question is to CP+B- can you let your VW speak?
The brand had a voice once- understated, honest, cool- bring it back. Please.
By way of Ernie Schenck I find my way to Baba Shetty’s blog where he talks about the “Vee Dub” un-pimp your ride campaign from Crispin Porter + Bogusky.
While this is all good and fine- the real question is why is all this traffic going to YouTube instead of to VW? Why hasn’t CP+P made sure that these spots are available in the obvious place- VW’s site- where they can capture and analyze traffic? Being able to look at your stats and see where your product and commercials are being discussed is one of the most valuable resources a marketer has today.
And- don’t assume that everyone has broadband access- have multiple resolutions, multiple formats, all launched from a quick loading HTML page- giving the viewer the option before waiting 10 minutes for your pretentious Flash intro to load.
I was mistaken when I predicted that these spots would only air to limited audiences- I caught one in 24 on Monday night. Of course I watched it- they are funny- and it may generate some curiosity on the sales floor- only until consumers see the price tag. CB+P may be the masters of advertainment- but VW still has a long way to go to “German Engineering.”
So kids, remember- don’t leave it to third parties to distribute your ads- do it yourself- that’s the beauty of the web. And- even though you love Flash- don’t build your whole site out of it- unless you absolutely have to.
Well, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Those bad boys in Miami, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, have released some of their first new work for VW. As usual, it’s unusual.
The gloves are off- no more being politically correct, no trying to make apologies for being German and killing 6 million Jews, it’s hip, it’s cool, it’s that precision German engineering - with a twist of Helga in leather (no- I’m not kidding).
Knowing that anyone with a brain probably won’t buy a VW until they actually do start delivering a quality product (according to JD Power every Japanese car, and most Korean cars have almost half as many initial defects as a VW) Crispin decided to go after the “Tuner” market. The kids that go out and buy a $12,000 Neon and put $4,000 wheels on it, a $1000 exhaust, lots of decals and another $5,000 on the stereo- and still have a Neon, or a Mitsubishi Eclipse or a Honda Civic. Very few tuner’s in the States would touch a VW- but now, yeah baby, you can get one “Pre-tuned” by German engineers.
The spots- remind me of a cross between “Dieter” from the Saturday Night Live “Sprokets” spoof of a techno DJ, crossed with Crispin’s other designer character “Ugoff” (who designed a pouch for Burger King). Then throw in Helga. Yeah, Helga.
The site- with some of the same flash technology that brought us “Subservient Chicken” is now in peak form (although my creation lost some features including my leather seats- oops). You can see my little movie here- My GTI Joyride with “Helga”
If you are one of those people that follows continuity errors in movies like my friend Audra, you will be wondering how Helga got back in the car after starting the race- but, hey, this isn’t reality- it’s just Flash.
Do I think the “tuners” will get it? Absolutely. Do I think they will start buying VW’s “pre-tuned” from the factory- well, mine was over $30K and if I put that much into my Honda Civic, I’d not only have a car all my friends would think is def, I’d actually have a car that held it’s value. The problem isn’t the advertising- it’s the price/value proposition VW is offering.
Will this advertising sell more cars? Probably not, but it is an interesting side show to distract people until VW gets their “German engineering” back on track. This isn’t advertising that will sell the line to anyone over 35, but, I’m sure that will come too. Unlike most agencies, CP+B understands that there aren’t one size fits all ads for anything anymore. I don’t expect to see these spots on anything but “Pimp my ride” on MTV - or the site vwfeatures.com be widely promoted.
While all Detroit keeps doing crap ads, it’s nice to have something provocative to write about. Thank you Crispin.
Of late there has been a lot of major account changes noted in the advertising press. Every move by Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Miami is documented in the same style as paparazzi chasing movie stars. What was once a relatively small agency, with small clients, who got bought by a small “network” is now becoming a BIG AGENCY with BIG CLIENTS still owned by a small network. How well agencies scale should not be measured by CP+B because it is an anomaly: it’s reputation is so huge, they are able to get the pick of talent, steam roll over clients (since they have been crowned by the media as having the Midas touch) and have adopted a “media agnostic” throw as many ideas on the wall and see what sticks approach.
In case you aren’t aware of their storied life in the fast lane, they made their first appearance on the hot shop radar with their “Truth” campaign for Florida’s anti-smoking campaign. They won a Cannes Gold Lion for their spot for IKEA where a desk lamp gets kicked to the curb- but IKEA seems to be unable to stick with an agency having parted ways with the successor agency as well (IKEA should call us), then came the dream account (only because the car is so damn cute and already branded) the new BMW Mini account. Here CP+P showed off how to get the maximum muscle out of the minimal moola to an exponential effect. Putting Mini’s on top of Ford Expeditions, putting the whole car on a billboard in a Slingshot, even the tagline “Let’s Motor” was so fitting, you couldn’t help but be enchanted with the idea of “driving satisfaction” without having it screamed at you. It was the ultimate in talking with the customer- not at the customer- and it worked. BMW sold cars, CP+B made their client manager look so good, she got hired away from BMW to fix VW- that’s making your client more money than they pay you if I ever saw it. Her reward to her friends who got her there- the VW account, a prize beyond their wildest dreams when they were working on bike helmet campaigns and local business.
So impressive was the mini campaign that success breeds success and on comes Burger King- a traditionally “difficult” client who had been through agencies and “campaigns” faster than they sell whoppers. Along came CP+B throwing new stuff at the masses faster than they could say “Yes” to the “would you like fries with that” question. The first execution was a takeoff on the British TV show “The Office” and the return of the “have it your way tag line.”
For such creative geniuses to settle on someone else’s tagline is typically unheard of- typically agencies want to make their own mark- but that takes time. CP+B was smart enough to realize that a brand in trouble needs help now, not when their creativity kicks in. The campaign was outside the norm for the industry- with double-entendre’s and un-pretty people. But, it was easier to fly the old tagline back through the barriers of corporate CYA and it bought them time- time for an agency to find a brand voice. Great campaigns don’t happen overnight. “Think Small” wasn’t the first thing Bernbach did for VW, nor was “Just do it” the first shot by Wieden + Kennedy for Nike.
Next came Dr. Angus and his big burger diet, and my personal favorite- Ugoff- the fashion designer creating a “pouch” for hot chicken and shrimp” for BK’s new salads. All of these had Internet components- something many “big” agencies still do as an afterthought. Then came the viral “Subservient Chicken” which every fast feeder now wants to copy and then the King mask- of which I won’t comment. But, this huge out burst of creative work has all been in a span of less than 2 years- totally unheard of in the ad world- and…
This is NOT how most clients get the most out of their marketing budget.
Most clients don’t have 300 million to spend. They depend on consistency of message on target. This is why an Apple ad today for the most part looks like an Apple ad of yesterday (please don’t remind me that they only have 2% of the PC market- and that if it wasn’t for the iPod the stock would still be hurting) or that Wal-Mart ads look like Wal-Mart ads. The idea is that if you can’t get enough frequency at least get repetition working for you. With small budgets like BMW motorcycles, the idea of staying on brand message is considered key. If you only have so much money, keep it consistent. This is why brands are so careful about staying in voice, on target with the right trade dress (look and feel). It is also why when you have a great tagline like “have it your way” or “the ultimate driving machine” or “just do it” it never goes out of style.
So- the question we posed at the beginning is do you have the right agency? No matter what you spend, your agency will tell you it’s not enough (except our agency) because their compensation is probably tied back to media billings – the stupidest way to pay an agency ever devised. The second question is, does your brand voice do what it’s supposed to (differentiate you from your competition and connect you like no other to your market)? Lastly, is your agency looking at every avenue they can to make you highly visible to your target market through every channel possible- including the Internet, guerrilla advertising, PR and your trade dress down to the way your stores look, your salespeople communicate and your company ethics? If not, you aren’t using the right agency- or getting the right return on your dollar. There is more to this- but it could be a whole book. You can call us to discuss how you can build your business using these ideas. One of the first things we’ll do is ask to look at your website statistics- and analyze where your customers are coming from. When was the last time your agency did that?
One of the beautiful things about Crispin is that they are willing to go outside the traditional confines of what an ad agency is “supposed to do” and offer sound business advice. Some in the auto business laughed at Crispin rebranding the VW Golf back to it’s original “VW Rabbit” badge. Considering that neither econobox sold as well as the Bug- which was known for its quality, dependability and value- qualities that have escaped VW since the Bug’s departure from the line up.