VW: Funeral
Volkswagen sought to reinforce its brand as a smart, economical choice. They aimed to create a memorable campaign targeting consumers who valued practicality and long-term financial wisdom, humorously highlighting the benefits of choosing a VW over more extravagant options.
Creative Idea
A will disinherited spendthrifts, rewarding a frugal nephew who owned a Volkswagen.
Volkswagen humorously dramatized the long-term financial benefits of owning their car by showing a will that rewards frugality and a VW owner with a massive inheritance, contrasting them with spendthrift relatives.
The Billion Dollar Reward for Being Frugal
The worst possible idea
Art Director Roy Grace and Copywriter John Noble developed the script by intentionally seeking out the "worst possible situation" to advertise a vehicle. They landed on a funeral because the somber, depressing atmosphere was the antithesis of traditional automotive glamour. The production took a massive risk by utilizing "anti-advertising," a technique where the brand wins over the audience through self-deprecation and honesty rather than boastful claims. This approach was so effective that it shifted the Beetle's image from "cheap" to "frugal and smart," with 68% of surveyed viewers reporting the ad improved their perception of the car's reliability.
A funeral for the client
The campaign almost died before it reached the screen. Shortly before the storyboard presentation, the client’s brother passed away. The DDB team feared the funeral theme would be seen as insensitive, yet the client loved the script’s honesty and approved it immediately. Director Howard Zieff, known as the "King of the 60-second comedy," shot the spot with a stark, cinematic style. He used a long line of luxury Cadillacs and Rolls-Royces to create a visual contrast with the small, black Beetle at the end of the procession.
Luigi and the hundred billion
The ad features a young Danny Wells as the nephew Harold. Wells later achieved fame as the live-action Luigi in *The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!* The script’s punchline - a $100 billion inheritance - was an absurdly large sum in 1969, equivalent to over $800 billion today. This exaggeration, paired with the "sound of silence" and a lack of background music, cemented the ad as a cultural "water cooler" moment that helped VW sales peak at over 423,000 units annually.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Volkswagen had a reputation for reliability and economical cars, appealing to practical consumers.
Category
Car advertising often focuses on luxury, status, or performance, appealing to aspirational spending.
Customer
The audience felt a tension between societal pressure to spend and the personal desire for financial security.
Culture
A cultural appreciation for wit and dark humor, combined with a nod to financial prudence, made the message resonate.
Company
Volkswagen had a reputation for reliability and economical cars, appealing to practical consumers.
Category
Car advertising often focuses on luxury, status, or performance, appealing to aspirational spending.
Strategy:
Dramatize the long-term financial benefits of practical choices by contrasting them with extravagant spending.
Customer
The audience felt a tension between societal pressure to spend and the personal desire for financial security.
Culture
A cultural appreciation for wit and dark humor, combined with a nod to financial prudence, made the message resonate.
Strategy:
Dramatize the long-term financial benefits of practical choices by contrasting them with extravagant spending.
Strategy Technique
Exaggerate to Reveal the Truth
The campaign exaggerates the financial reward for frugality and owning a Volkswagen to an absurd degree. This highlights the underlying truth that smart spending leads to long-term gains.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Reverse Expectations
The ad sets up a typical inheritance scenario but then flips it, rewarding the frugal nephew who owns a Volkswagen. This unexpected twist highlights the value of smart financial choices.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional primarily due to its brilliant copywriting, which forms the backbone of its satirical humor, perfectly complemented by strong acting and art direction that bring the narrative to life.
The script for the will is incredibly clever and humorous, using witty language and sharp character descriptions to drive the ad's core message about value and frugality.
The actors' nuanced expressions – from Rose's petulance to the sons' smugness and Harold's triumphant smile – are crucial in conveying the ad's comedic and emotional beats effectively.
The careful selection of vintage luxury cars and their opulent interiors starkly contrasts with the simple, iconic Volkswagen Beetle, visually reinforcing the narrative's themes of extravagance versus practicality.
The camera work, including tracking shots of the car procession and intimate close-ups of the characters, maintains a cinematic quality and effectively frames the visual storytelling and character reactions.
The true magic of this campaign comes from the seamless synergy between the insightful copywriting and the meticulously crafted visual storytelling, where every character reaction and car choice amplifies the satirical message.
