WEEK ONE EOC: Volkswagen Lemon Ad

“We pluck the lemons; you get the plums”

“How could Volkswagen sell Hitler’s favorite car to the American people only a decade and a half after World War II?” (Coleman, Writing For Designers). Would Americans ever even think about purchasing a car that Hitler created? It was quite a bold step to advertise such a controversial yet groundbreaking topic. But, Helmut Krone, at an advertisement agency known as Doyle Dane Bernbach, decided to take on the task. The term “lemon” has always been associated with being a run-down automobile- so, the use of the word was genius. It did everything Krone had anticipated; it got the attention of its viewers during this time. This would soon change the way of advertising everywhere.

To “Think small” wasn’t a common ideal back in the sixties, actually advertisement was going for the idea of bigger is better. A black and white photo of the beetle was included in the advertisement, which is most likely what really drew viewers’ in. “Below the image follows a statement that proclaims that this particular car was rejected by Inspector Kurt Kroner because of a blemish on the chrome piece of the glove box.” (Coleman, Writing For Designers). The ad went on to describe why this small yet efficient car was a perfect choice for everyday Americans. The car itself reached up to 62 mph, had an air-cooled engine and the tank got an astonishing 42 miles per gallon, which was perfect for an average income family. Crazy enough, all of this as Hitler’s idea who is to be considered the most evil man in the world. He of all people wanted a comfortable car for the ideal family? Strange as it is, the beetle became extremely popular. Especially due to this advertisement.

The simple monochromatic photo was out of the ordinary during this because many automobile advertisements were illustrated with bright colors. But, somehow Krone’s innovative idea manage to grab the attention of thousands and even more to this day. Many advertisements now use the same method of including both a photo of the product and witty text to entertain consumers. “There is a true argumentative purpose that this advertisement was trying to create, and that is that as a consumer, you could still be satisfied and trendy in a vehicle that was designed for the simple life” (Salas, The Visual Communication Guy).

Sources: http://thevisualcommunicationguy.com/2013/07/03/how-adolf-hitlers-ideal-car-became-an-american-favorite-a-visual-analysis-of-the-volkswagon-beetle/

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