"An American Love Story"

18 February 2024

2 mins

Looking in the reverse-view mirror.

With the possible exception of the original Mini, there is no car with which drivers have a more affectionate relationship than the VW Beetle. Its distinctive shape combined with its unusual combination of inexpensiveness and reliability attracted a whole generation towards it, and its devotees imbued it with a live-action nostalgia which somehow unfolded in real time.

Much of this charm proved surprisingly transferable... as newer models were released, they too became culturally significant, even if they didn't manage to achieve the cult status of the 'Love Bug'.

Director Lance Acord tapped into the relationship between American drivers and VW's cars to create this moving commercial for the German marque which was screened during the Super Bowl. Surprisingly little of the sequences in the commercial were dug out of the archive as Acord opted instead to create as many reconstructions as he could. This, of course, enabled him to shape the film in exactly the way he wanted and to maximise the impact of its nostalgia.

Advertising played a key role in the original success of the VW with Doyle Dane Bernbach establishing its reputation as the pre-eminent advertising agency of its day in turning around the fortunes of a brand understandably weighed down by its Nazi origins.

It's fitting then that advertising should continue the brand's redemption after the emissions scandal trashed its reputation around a decade ago. A commercial like this is a timely reminder that VW was once one of the world's most trusted brands... and can be again.

USA

Cars