EOC Week 1: VW Lemon

 In the present day, I view the Volkswagen brand as almost a car of luxury. From my few drives in a bug and some other branch of the brand's sedan, I thought of the car as sleek and a great drive. According to this article written in the Biz Journals website, “Competing automakers were building ever bigger cars for growing families with baby boomer children. The Beetle, on the other hand, was tiny and, well, ugly. Who would buy it? On top of this, the car was manufactured in Wolfsburg, Germany, at a plant built by the Nazis.”  Ironically enough, it was a Jewish company that was aiming to sell a "nazi"  vehicle to the United States. 

"The copy says that while the car in the photo may look perfect, it isn’t. Turns out, the chrome strip on the glove compartment must be replaced, because Inspector Kurt Kroner noticed a blemish. As a result of Volkswagen’s quality assurance, its cars depreciate more slowly than those of competitors — a benefit that may influence purchase decisions. " Volkswagen cleverly puts out what their flaws are and captures their audience's attention with this information. Who else in the market can publicize their flaws and use it as a selling tactic? Volkswagen aims to tell consumers that although they may not be the idealized American car, it is reliable.

“The tagline was a clever play on the meaning of "lemon" as a car that's a dud and the idea that "plum" is something to be desired: ‘We pluck the lemons; you get the plums.’” This was a captivating advertisement. The term lemon in the automotive world states that a vehicle may be returned to dealer if it is found faulty in some way. This advertisement gives the customer the idea that Volkswagen is a quality vehicle; they will be getting a well-made car, hence, "We pluck the lemons; you get the plums." 

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/1999/11/22/smallb7.html?page=allhttp://www.brandstoke.com/2010/09/28/engaging-or-informing-which-creative-approach-is-lemon/#sthash.vcp5xkvm.dpufhttp://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/03/why-does-everyone-on-mad-men-call-don-draper-a-creative-genius/254699/