May the Force be with you

Is advertising becoming more and more annoying, or is it just us? Today we have more knowledge about advertising and its strategies. Or at least, companies think they have, but it doesn’t show in their ads. Advertising is not only getting more and more dominating, but ads are also getting worse. Commercials which make you smile have become rare, which is why we decided to highlight those commercials which make you laugh out loud.

In this first blog we will talk about the funnies ad of 2011: “The Force” by Volkswagen. Last year this ad went viral, and this year Volkwagen used it again for their new car. We think this commercial is just epic, and seeing the huge amount of Youtube views and Google searches, we’re not the only ones. For those who don’t know it (or for those like us who still find it hilarious after a dozen views), you can watch it here.

You get it? The dad thinks he’s starting the car. Think again dad.. 

Just kidding, of course the idea is that dad starts the car to lighten the boys spirits. And seeing the boys reaction, it worked.

The first thing we’d like to mention about this ad is that the boys plays the part brilliantly. The stunned response he expresses even though you can’t see his face is just ingenius. Volkswagen uses the boys cuteness to elicit an emotional response among the audience, because it contains no further information about the car itself, except for the remoted start up. The car could be replaced by any other and the commercial would be suitable. Usually ads tell us why this car is better than any other. This ad only mentions the price, which means it doesn’t distinguish itself. 

So the ad contains no information about the car whatsoever, what would cause people to buy it anyway?

First of all, it’s creative and engages the audience. It doesn’t focus on car features but tells a story and leaves an impression, unlike most other car ads. The emotional engagement of the ad is exactly what sells. 

An important quality the ad promotes is the use of the car in families. The story the ad tells creates goodwill towards families, which makes the brand look trustworthy.  

Another strong aspect of the ad it the use of kids imaginations. Having supernatural powers like ‘Darth Vader’ is the desire of every imaginative kid (and grown-up). The ad shows the imagination of the kid, and suggests that the Passat has everything you ever imagined: as a little boy and as an adult.  

Looks to us like Volkswagen did a great job on this one. The next commercial by VW will be aired soon, and again has a Starwars theme: ‘The Bark Side’.