Passat Volkswagen Passat "Safe happens'' commercials.

[Yperion]

Link

 

[Giannis]

not the best idea for a commercial, right?

 

[PanterroR]

not the best idea for a commercial, right?

Weird, i'd say...

 

[PHYBENZ]

I actually like them, they had a series of them for the Jetta, and now they are doing the Passat. It gets the point across if you ask me.

 

[Yperion]

Very shocking spots but they get the message across like Phybenz says.

 

[ree]

In my opinion this is a great idea. Why should a automobile manufacturer every time advertise with the design of a new car or with the power...?

 

[Osnabrueck]

I think the spots are great because they break an advertising taboo by depicting the car in a real-world accident. In the past, you'd only see a car being destroyed if it was in some clinical, crash-test situation.

This is the work of VW's new agency that started with the "GTI Fast" campaign earlier this year. Good stuff.

 

[Giannis]

so it crashed when these two women were inside? This is kinda violent? (right word?)

 

[NarutoRamen]

Man..my mom saw one of those commercials yesterday and it kind of shook her because it reminded her of the time my dad and I got into an accident together where if it wasn't for my quick thinking...we both would've been dead. So in her eyes...those commercials aren't good because even though these commercials prove a point...it also brings back horrible memories for people who have gone through this especially people who have lost their loved ones...so IMO and also my mom's opinion these commercials do more harm than good.

 

[Osnabrueck]

Well, you can't deny that they're capturing attention.

I wouldn't be surprised if the ads are too close to home for some folks, but on the other hand, the depiction of the accidents are so visceral it connects the idea of a safe car with our primal instincts. I credit VW for doing a first with this campaign.

 

[PHYBENZ]

On the vw US website you can also take a jetta and crash it against different things.

The ad agency that is now doing VW is Crspin POrter and Bogusky, and they are actually the frim that did all of Mini's advertisements until they picked up VW recently. Very creative stuff.

 

[NarutoRamen]

Well, you can't deny that they're capturing attention.

I wouldn't be surprised if the ads are too close to home for some folks, but on the other hand, the depiction of the accidents are so visceral it connects the idea of a safe car with our primal instincts. I credit VW for doing a first with this campaign.

Well I personally think it's a cheap way of marketing because they're not presenting the full facts of what happens in an accident. My father and I almost got killed in one not because of the actual impact with the car but the fact that my car was pushed over the center median and right in front of an 18 wheeler...if I hadn't stepped on the gas right away we would have been crushed. So it's not the actual impact of the accident that causes things..it's the after effects. Just like an Earthquake...it's the aftershocks that are worse.

 

[Snake Vargas]

I would say that your case is more unusual than usual. It's often the impact that does the killing. Even if not, then it's some sort of impact, somewhere down the line.. so, a safe car always helps.

Safe is something you can't really get enough of, for many people - if you get somewhere a bit slower, in a bit less comfort, there's still second chances, but if you get in a crash in a car a "bit less" safe, it could be the only chance you'll get.