Legalities of Advertising

      The concept of false light is using a photo or an image that was originally intended for one thing for another purpose entirely.  For example, if a model signs on for a photoshoot for toothpaste and then the photo is used to portray someone who doesn't pay taxes than they are being portrayed in a false light.  To avoid this problem, strict agreements must be signed by actors, artists, etc specifically stating what their works can and can't be used for.  The TV show, Friends, did a spoof on this very issue - in the episode, Joey poses as a model for an unknown ad only to find out later that his face is being pasted across the city in an advertisement for VD awareness.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iULTDFlcorI
     Next, the concept of appropriation is using someone's likeness in appearance or voice for advertising without their consent.  This type of thing happens in China all the time - for example, on my last trip I noticed that a local toy store was selling the below 'Transformers' toy - the same packaging and font was used but the name was changed to 'Transrobot'.  Needless to say, I had a good laugh. 

     Finally, in the legalities of advertising, are copyright laws.  These laws protect "original works of authorship" from the moment of conception.  They can be given away or sold to others if the owner approves.  Copyright laws vary by country but many expire after a set number of years.  This can pose a bit of an issue if the artist who created the piece is still alive and now has to fight to retain rights to their own works.  For example, in 1985 Paul McCartney was outbid by Michael Jackson for the works that he originally created with the Beatles and as a solo artist.  http://fortune.com/2017/06/30/sony-beatles-copyright/
     An advertiser can knowingly or unknowingly violate copyright or privacy laws as there are a great number of laws in place to protect owners of original creations.  For example, a small mom and pop business may open a store in a local market under a name that is already being used elsewhere by a similar establishment.  The TV show, Schitt's Creek, did an episode on this very situation.  A local one-off shop named Blouse Barn was being contacted by an Australian company because they wanted to open stores in North America under that name.  They offered to pay her a sum of money for rights to the brand and asked her to rename her store to something else.  http://schitts-creek.wikia.com/wiki/Lawn_Signs

Social Advertising

   

     Volkswagen typically uses it's social media platforms to advertise to a wide range of audiences.  They target millennials with their Facebook posts about their sportier line of cars - the Golf R, GTI, and Jetta and target families with content about their larger vehicles like the new Atlas.  There is also a large following of race fans who want to be up to date on the latest Americas Rallycross or even Europen race stats. VW.com shares this article about the first season of Americas Rallycross :  http://newsroom.vw.com/community/volkswagen-andretti-rallycross-beetles-sweep-inaugural-americas-rallycross/?cid=fb.20180530.1.p

     Commercials tend to feature younger actors and lately, their commercials have been focusing on the cars with an appeal to a younger generation than those with a more family or luxury appeal.  Visuals are bright and colorful - with a touch of a throwback to the vintage era and a feeling of wanderlust.  https://www.facebook.com/VW/videos/10160647437930790/.  Instagram seems to focus on showing a single image of a car highlighting only a portion of it.  This keeps the visuals interesting and makes people want to see more of the car.  https://www.instagram.com/p/BltOu_qjGUY/?taken-by=vw

     There are many ways for followers to engage with the brand through any of the social media sites they use.  According to unmetric.com, in June the VW Instagram page had 625,392 likes, VW posted 55 tweets to Twitter, and their Facebook following grew by .33%.  https://unmetric.com/brands/volkswagen  While this may seem like VW presents a good platform for engagement, a closer look shows that most of the tweets were closed-ended posts that didn't promote responses. Followers do a double tap to like images on Instagram and they can also upload their own images and tag #VW as well. 
     It appears that VW does not differentiate much between the content posted on Twitter and the content posted on Facebook leading me to question why I should follow both.  The only difference appears to be that people reach out via Twitter in hopes of opening a line of communication with someone at headquarters.  One thing that Volkswagen has accepted is the amount of negative feedback that they receive due to the diesel emissions scandal.  They remain diligent in answering as many of the negative tweets that they possibly can and offer support wherever possible. 

Creative Brief

Current examples of VW Marketing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9OwnU81rko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkeiv7hZy_Y

Target Audience:
Environmentally conscious Millenials just starting families or with growing families. These people are proud that they are environmentally conscious and like others to know it. They also have an interest in unique and trendy products.

Target Interaction:
VW is a well-known brand amongst our target audience.  Many have been left with a sour taste in their mouths about VW due to the diesel scandal a few years ago. This vehicle provides a way for VW to win back their environmentally conscious, economically conscious customer base with a zero-emission, zero-gas, alternative fuel vehicle. The retro appeal of the original VW Microbus is so expansive that its popularity is almost guaranteed.

Current Competition:
Tesla - a popular brand that is exclusive to those that can afford them.  Furthermore, production has been limited so there is not a lot of market saturation. 

What you want your target audience to know and feel:
The I.D. Buzz is a minimalist design; it contains nothing that doesn’t need to be there. It is an immaterial material possession. It is a non-egocentric egocentric vehicle. The concept is based on a pop-culture icon everyone can identify with, giving customers the ability to go to new places without the negative impact on the environment. It is a perfect example of a vehicle as a status symbol. Consumers should feel good about the fact that they are doing their part to minimize emissions and happy that they are doing it in an iconic vehicle from VW. 

Key insight:
After showing the Modular Electric Drive platform in 2015 and the I.D. concept car in 2017, VW has unveiled the reimagining of the vintage Microbus for the 21st century: the I.D. Buzz. According to CNN.com VW intends to sell one million electric vehicles a year by 2025, starting in 2020.  http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/08/technology/volkswagen-id-buzz-concept/index.html
 The I.D. Buzz, which will be available in 2022 in the US, Europe, & China, showcases all of VW’s current design values: "likable, sensual, innovative, logical, and reflects the brand’s equity".
With its fully autonomous capabilities, room for eight, and fully reconfigurable interior, this vehicle would be the perfect family road trip vehicle, it's like a "party on wheels".  https://www.caranddriver.com/news/volkswagen-id-buzz-ev-concept-photos-and-info-news
“The iconic car of the electric age must be a Volkswagen” states Dr. Herbert Diess http://newsroom.vw.com/vehicles/future-cars/official-the-vw-bus-is-back-and-its-electric/
Like the original Microbus, the I.D. Buzz is roomy & versatile. Unlike the original, with its 30 hp engine and rear wheel drive, the new iteration boasts 396 hp from two electric motors and all-wheel drive, according to vw.com
https://www.automobilemag.com/news/volkswagen-d-buzz-concept-review-first-drive/

Creativity Analysis

     The ad that I chose to analyze is the 2011 Volkswagen Super Bowl ad for the Passat.  This ad's creativity and comedy made it one of the most popular commercials that debuted during halftime and it's easy to see why.
     First, the ad was unexpected - the mini Darth Vader trying to use 'the force' to move the toys, his lunch, and even the family dog had you wondering what on earth was being advertised.  Was this an ad for Star Wars?  Light sabers?  Your interest was piqued to find out more.  Secondly, the element of humor - not jokes - was prevalent and got people chuckling when he tried, without success, to use his supposed super powers.
     Another dynamic to the ad was how well it hit it's targeted audience.  Most people looking to buy a Passat either have, or were planning to have, children.  That puts them at an age where Star Wars would have been huge for them during their childhood.  They could relate to the little boy in his costume because at one time in their lives, they were the little boy.  Seeing an iconic, pop culture character portrayed by a child would grab the attention of any kid at heart.
     When it comes to the actual advertising of the product the creators opted for subtlety - it isn't immediately clear what the commercial is for, and when it does become apparent, there are no catchy taglines or loud exclamations; just a single push of a button to remotely start the car.  But even with it's quiet nature, viewers still know from this commercial that the Passat is a great car for people with kids and, guess what, it even has remote start!
     While there is no dialogue at all, which in itself makes the commercial more memorable, there is text at the end that states that the Passat is 'coming soon' much like Star Wars was 'coming soon to a theater near you'.  Tying the two together throughout the entire spot really unifies the theme.  It's possible that VW could have opted to showcase a few more of the car's features but for the length of the ad I think they got it just right.