By Stephen Armstrong1 5 Volkswagen

By Stephen Armstrong

1 5 Volkswagen bold or stupid?
Across France, workmen have

been busy scraping off 10,000
billboard advertisements for its
new Golf following furious
complaints from the Catholic
Church. In a series of posters, the
German carmaker’s model was
likened to a religious revelation;
one that showed Jesus at the last
supper recommending the car to
his disciples.

2 VW’s agency DDB Needham
doubtless thought its advertising
was ironic and extremely up-to-
date. After all, the admen
presumably figured, if outrageous"
advertising worked for the likes of
Benetton, it could work to revive
the image of the Golf, which is
frankly rather old-fashioned.

3 After the Catholic Church
threatened to sue" for Ffr 3.3 m
($550,000) to obtain reparation
for the damage suffered by
Christians, the agency and the
carmaker confessed to their sins
and agreed to remove the ads. ‘We
have no disrespect for the
fundamental values of society nor
for the beliefs of the faithful,’ said
a spokesperson for DDB
Needham. ‘We decided to retract
the posters immediately in order to
show our respect for the faith and
the feelings expressed by certain
believers.’ The agency’s penance"
has included making a substantial
donation to a Catholic charity.

4 European consumers are
exposed to hundreds of
commercial messages a day, but
the vast majority of these are
ignored, so ads which shock have
become more popular with
advertisers. It is believed that these
ads force consumers to listen to
their message. But some adland
thinkers argue that it’s a little more
complicated than that.

5 . Virginia Valentine, director of
advertising’s foremost cultural
analysis company, Semiotic
Solutions, argues that brands can
no longer expect consumers to take
sales messages at face value".
Consumers challenge everything
they are told, she believes, and will
prefer brands that give them
something back, rather than the
old-style ‘here’s our product ain’t it
great!’ philosophy which has
dominated advertising since its
inception. Thus ads can deal with
social issues and refer to the news
agenda these days. Inevitably,
though, it can go horribly wrong.
‘The risk is, and I think this is true
in the case of Volkswagen, that if
you use images of faith and
prostitute them, people will take
offence. It’s all very well if you give
them something back, but it is
clear that Jesus could not have
benefited from that poster
campaign.’

6. The ad agency, however, may
well have done. The VW campaign
might look like a marketing
disaster, but increasingly ad
agencies are selling to clients not
simply their ability to write ads but
their ability to write ads that
generate PR. Some clients ask all
agencies pitching for their business
to demonstrate their ability to
garner" extra publicity.

7. A deliberately shocking ad is
the simplest way to get additional
media coverage, and even if the
media coverage is negative, it can
still help to sell the product as
advertisers like Benetton have
already proved.

8. One supporter of Benetton’s
work is Leon Jaume, Deputy
Creative Director of ad agency
Ogilvy 8c Mather, who believes its
success lies in knowing its target.
‘In marketing terms the only real
taboo is upsetting the people you
want to buy your product,’ he
says. ‘As long as it’s legal and the
client is OK with it, you can offend
anyone else and in many ways you
should. I’d normally see
outrageous advertising as a youth
proposition though, and I think
VW’s mistake may have been in
selling a product that isn’t a youth
product with this kind of style.
Young people are receptive to
taboo-breaking as they are more
open-minded than older people. I
think they positively welcome
advertising that annoys their
parents.’ Some agency creatives
argue that young people today are
fundamentally different from
previous generations in their
internationalism, and young
consumers in Tel Aviv are closer to
their counterparts” in Paris, New
York and Sydney than they are to
their parents.

9 As this generation grows up,
the argument goes, they will
continue to be more broad-minded
than their parents and will see the
shattering of taboos as the norm.
So outrageous advertising will no
longer be limited to those products
which target youth.

10 Perhaps Volkswagen was just
ahead of its time, advertising to a
market that wasn’t broad-minded
enough in a country that still gets
nervous when Church and State
are challenged. Or perhaps VW’s
collision with Catholics shows that
for all their claimed acumen", ad
agencies are less in touch” with the
public mood than they claim.

Результаты (русский) 1:

Stephen Армстронг1 5 Volkswagen жирным или глупо?Во Франции имеют рабочиебыл занят соскабливания 10000афиша рекламы для своихНовый гольф после гневногожалобы от католическойЦерковь. В серии плакатовНемецкий автопроизводитель модель былаприравнено к религиозной откровение;один, который показал Иисус на последнейужин, рекомендуя автомобильего ученики.2 VW агентство DDB Needhamнесомненно мысль свою рекламуПарадоксально и чрезвычайно вверх-к-Дата. После всех, рекламистовпредположительно понял, что если возмутительно»Реклама работала для подобныхBenetton, она могла бы работать возродитьизображение гольф, который являетсяоткровенно довольно старомодный.3 после католической церквипригрозило подать» для Ffr 3,3 м($550,000) для получения возмещенияза ущерб, понесенныйХристиане, Агентством иавтопроизводитель признался в своих грехахи решила удалить объявления. ' Мыу не неуважениеосновополагающие ценности общества, нидля убеждения верующих ' сказалПресс-секретарь DDBNeedham. «Мы решили убратьплакаты немедленно для того чтобыПоказать наше уважение к вере ичувства, выраженные некоторымиверующих.» Агентства в покаянии»включил сделать существенныйпожертвование Католической благотворительной организации.4 европейские потребителиподвергаются сотникоммерческих сообщений в день, ноПодавляющее большинство из них являютсяигнорируется, поэтому объявления, у которых шокстановится все более популярным срекламодателей. Он считает, что этиads force consumers to listen totheir message. But some adlandthinkers argue that it’s a little morecomplicated than that.5 . Virginia Valentine, director ofadvertising’s foremost culturalanalysis company, SemioticSolutions, argues that brands canno longer expect consumers to takesales messages at face value".Consumers challenge everythingthey are told, she believes, and willprefer brands that give themsomething back, rather than theold-style ‘here’s our product ain’t itgreat!’ philosophy which hasdominated advertising since itsinception. Thus ads can deal withsocial issues and refer to the newsagenda these days. Inevitably,though, it can go horribly wrong.‘The risk is, and I think this is truein the case of Volkswagen, that ifyou use images of faith andprostitute them, people will takeoffence. It’s all very well if you givethem something back, but it isclear that Jesus could not havebenefited from that postercampaign.’6. The ad agency, however, maywell have done. The VW campaignmight look like a marketingdisaster, but increasingly adagencies are selling to clients notsimply their ability to write ads buttheir ability to write ads thatgenerate PR. Some clients ask allagencies pitching for their businessto demonstrate their ability togarner" extra publicity.7. A deliberately shocking ad isthe simplest way to get additionalmedia coverage, and even if themedia coverage is negative, it canstill help to sell the product asadvertisers like Benetton havealready proved.8. One supporter of Benetton’swork is Leon Jaume, DeputyCreative Director of ad agencyOgilvy 8c Mather, who believes itssuccess lies in knowing its target.‘In marketing terms the only realtaboo is upsetting the people youwant to buy your product,’ hesays. ‘As long as it’s legal and theclient is OK with it, you can offendanyone else and in many ways youshould. I’d normally seeoutrageous advertising as a youthproposition though, and I thinkVW’s mistake may have been inselling a product that isn’t a youthproduct with this kind of style.Young people are receptive totaboo-breaking as they are moreopen-minded than older people. Ithink they positively welcomeadvertising that annoys theirparents.’ Some agency creativesargue that young people today arefundamentally different fromprevious generations in theirinternationalism, and youngconsumers in Tel Aviv are closer totheir counterparts” in Paris, NewYork and Sydney than they are totheir parents.9 As this generation grows up,the argument goes, they willcontinue to be more broad-mindedthan their parents and will see theshattering of taboos as the norm.So outrageous advertising will nolonger be limited to those productswhich target youth.10 Perhaps Volkswagen was justahead of its time, advertising to amarket that wasn’t broad-mindedenough in a country that still getsnervous when Church and Stateare challenged. Or perhaps VW’scollision with Catholics shows thatfor all their claimed acumen", adagencies are less in touch” with thepublic mood than they claim.

Результаты (русский) 3:

стивен армстронг

1 5 Volkswagen шрифтом или глупость?


во франции, человек уже был занят, чтобы соскрести 10
баннерной рекламы для ее
новых гольф после ярости
жалоб от католической церкви ".в серии плакатов,
немецкий почти модель
с религиозными откровения;
, показали иисуса на последнем
ужин рекомендуется машину


его учеников.2 VW агентства DDB нидэм
, несомненно, думал, ее реклама
была ирония и чрезвычайно до -
даты.в конце концов, рекламистов: предположительно, понял, что, если возмутительными "
рекламы работал как
Benetton, он мог бы оживить
изображение на поле, которое является
откровенно устаревшими.

3 после католической церкви
угрожает подать в суд на" ffr 3,3 м
($550 тыс.), чтобы получить возмещение ущерба.за ущерб, причиненный
христиан, агентство и
автомобилей признался, что свои грехи
и решила снять. "мы
не неуважение к
основополагающие ценности общества, ни
к убеждениям верующих", - заявил представитель DDB

нидэм."мы решили убрать
плакаты незамедлительно, с тем чтобы
показать наше уважение к вере и
чувства, выраженную некоторыми
верующих."агентство покаяния"
включил вносить существенный
дар католической благотворительной.

4 европейских потребителей
подвержены сотни
коммерческих сообщений в день, но
подавляющее большинство из них являются
игнорировалось и объявления, которые шок есть
становятся более популярными с
рекламодателей.считается, что эти
объявления заставить потребителей слушать
свое послание.но некоторые adland
аналитики утверждают, что это немного более
сложнее.

5.вирджиния валентина, директор
рекламная компания в первую очередь культурных
анализ, семиотического
решений, утверждает, что бренды могут
не ожидать, что потребители принимают
продаж сообщения по номиналу ".
потребителей проблемы все
они сказали, она верит и будет
предпочитают брендов, которые дают
что - то, а не