ad campaign for Volkswagen Beetle= The nº1 ad campaign of the century

Taking a look to the past..

This 1960s advertising campaign for Volkswagen Beetle did much more than boost sales and built a lifetime of the brand loyalty. Due to it (and the work of the agency behind it), the very nature of advertising was changed. The advertising campaign for Volkswagen Beetle, created by DDB, perfectly positioned the product and won the hearts and minds of the masses.

Before the advertising campaign for Volkswagen Beetle, ads were either information-based and lacking in persuasiveness, more fantasy than reality, or relied on the medium's ability to deliver a repeated exposure. Being breathtakingly simple, Beetle ads, connected with consumers on an emotional level, also conveyed a product benefit in a way consumers could relate to. That was the thing that made the advertising campaign for Volkswagen Beetle so radical.

It was illustrated by two famous print ads: the one I am talking about, featured a small picture of the car with the headline "Think small" (the text highlighted the advantages of driving the small Beetle versus a big car)

It is easy to imagine what happened next. DDB's approach to ad making was imitated by many other ad agencies. This movement is now referred to by the industry professionals as the creative revolution. It was creativity that counted most in the 60's.

The example of Volkswagen Beetle ad campaign showed us the lasting impact DDB had on the ad industry and what we see as consumers today. DDB was the first agency to pioneer the concept of art directors and copywriters working together. 

For me it´s simply unforgettable! 

Think Small! :)

 
Blanca Vidal