VW Ad - Incredibly Tasteless Or A Hoax? (Wizbang)

Bill K. at Rooftop Report has been tracking down the story behind the truly tasteless ad (shown below) for VW since yesterday, This morning The New York Post picked up the story, wondering whether it was an actual VW ad or a viral hoax. The Post didn't really provide an answer to the question of whether VW was behind the tasteless ad.

This afternoon I found the answer....

LONDON (Revolution) - Volkswagen and DDB London are distancing themselves from a hoax viral commercial for the VW Polo, which features a suicide bomber. The ad plays on the established tagline for Volkswagen's Polo model, "small but tough". It shows a man in fatigues setting off in his Polo. He arrives outside a restaurant and pulls out a trigger. However, when he detonates the bomb, a flash is seen inside the car but the car itself does not explode. The strapline appears at the end. The campaign is the work of a duo known for their spoof advertising, called Lee and Dan. The pair run a website, LeeandDan.com, but the ad does not appear on the site at the time of writing. They have worked on a string of legitimate ads including Ford SportKa, BP and Casio G-Shock, among others. Dan, from Lee and Dan, said: "The ad got out accidentally and has spread like wildfire. It wasn't meant for public consumption. "We think the spot reflects what people see in the news everyday, and in this instance the car is the hero that protects innocent people from someone with very bad intentions. We're sorry if the ad has caused any offence." Volkswagen stressed that the spot, which has been doing the viral email rounds this week, was made without any involvement from the company whatsoever.
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Good news for VW.

Comments (83)

I talked to VW, do you know... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by bill K | January 19, 2005 4:04 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

bill K:

I talked to VW, do you know how I can contact the POst?

Posted on January 19, 2005 16:04

I can't decide if it is tas... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by Mark J | January 19, 2005 4:14 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Mark J:

I can't decide if it is tasteless, funny, clever, stupid, incindiary, hateful, or some combination of the above. It makes my jaw drop, but I don't know why!

Posted on January 19, 2005 16:14

Perhaps they could have new... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by Justin B | January 19, 2005 4:15 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Justin B:

Perhaps they could have new Ryder Truck commercials with McVeigh next. WTF? That is just plain crazy.

Posted on January 19, 2005 16:15

I've never laughed so hard ... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by Jared | January 19, 2005 4:23 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Jared:

I've never laughed so hard at something so inappropriate in my life. This certainly isn't a commercial that a reputable company needs to be making (if indeed they made it), but from a purely satrical point it's hilarious. Just imagine the whole thing with South Park style animation and I think you'll understand my point.

Posted on January 19, 2005 16:23

And of course I meant "sati... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by Jared | January 19, 2005 4:26 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

And of course I meant "satirical," not "satrical."

Posted on January 19, 2005 16:26

Tasteless, but clever, and ... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by Just Me | January 19, 2005 4:31 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Just Me:

Tasteless, but clever, and definitely not something a reputable company would consider doing.

Posted on January 19, 2005 16:31

WEll....to a degree, what J... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by -S- | January 19, 2005 4:41 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

-S-:

WEll....to a degree, what Jared wrote. The idea/spoof concept is laughable but the taste level is bottomless. I need a shower.

Posted on January 19, 2005 16:41

Tasteless but oddly satisfy... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by giuliano | January 19, 2005 4:42 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

giuliano:

Tasteless but oddly satisfying...like reading about jihadis blowing themselves up in their bomb factories. (I feel bad for their nieghbors, tho.)

Posted on January 19, 2005 16:42

OT: Dirty Bomb threat in Bo... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by magnetism87 | January 19, 2005 4:47 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

magnetism87:

OT: Dirty Bomb threat in Boston. Drudge has the headline...

Posted on January 19, 2005 16:47

I thought it was great, I f... (Below threshold)

10. Posted by mikeymike | January 19, 2005 5:51 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

mikeymike:

I thought it was great, I feel pretty stupid bacause I don't see how it insults anyone but the terrorist.

Posted on January 19, 2005 17:51

I guess one could argue it'... (Below threshold)

11. Posted by julie | January 19, 2005 6:48 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

julie:

I guess one could argue it's not nice to make fun of terrorism no matter what, but I wouldn't. How can you say The Producers is okay and this isn't?

Posted on January 19, 2005 18:48

Well that was funny. If tha... (Below threshold)

12. Posted by barbobot | January 19, 2005 7:20 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

barbobot:

Well that was funny. If thats considered innapropriate I wish there were more inapropriate commercials.

Posted on January 19, 2005 19:20

I thought it was funny and ... (Below threshold)

13. Posted by Gary and the Samoyeds | January 19, 2005 8:11 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Gary and the Samoyeds:

I thought it was funny and I don't see anything really wrong with it. You are allowed to think of yourself as superior to Me. You are not allowed to force Me to value your opinion.

Now, the SportKa jobber (with the cat beheading) was tasteless and not funny. That would instantly turn Me away from any company using that advertisor.

Posted on January 19, 2005 20:11

Sorry but people need to ta... (Below threshold)

14. Posted by John | January 19, 2005 8:17 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

John:

Sorry but people need to take the sticks out of their butts if they can't admit that was funny without having to reassure everyone how 'tasteless' they found it.

The terrorist battlefield is the mind of the public. They can never truely effect change through direct action.

Showing terrorist as buffoons is the first step to demistifying them and taking away their psycological power over us. Once that happens, they will lose all their influence.

Posted on January 19, 2005 20:17

I was going to say the same... (Below threshold)

15. Posted by 89 | January 19, 2005 9:14 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

89:

I was going to say the same thing as the other people here: More of this, please.

First we laugh at them.
Then we kill them.
Then we win.

Of course, we can't really make commercials like that because it would be inapropriate for children. But as part of a humor show, it works.

Posted on January 19, 2005 21:14

Reminds me of the National ... (Below threshold)

16. Posted by PTG | January 19, 2005 9:24 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

PTG:

Reminds me of the National Lampoon's fine spoof VW ad from the 70's: "If Ted Kennedy drove a Volkswagen, he'd be President today." with photo of floating VW.

Posted on January 19, 2005 21:24

It's not good, either way..... (Below threshold)

17. Posted by tre | January 19, 2005 9:32 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

tre:

It's not good, either way... creative or otherwise. I predict a negative effect.

Posted on January 19, 2005 21:32

I'm sorry....I'm pretty qui... (Below threshold)

18. Posted by Jeff B. | January 19, 2005 9:34 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Jeff B.:

I'm sorry....I'm pretty quick to take offense, especially things are tasteless in reference to Israel...

...but I'm not gonna lie: that ad brought a big goofy grin to my face. I look at it the way mikeymike did - the only person embarrassed here is the terrorist. I like the idea of making fun the 'splodeydopes, too.

So sure, it's tasteless in an undeniable way, but I still give it a thumbs-up.

Posted on January 19, 2005 21:34

So I told my wife, "I want ... (Below threshold)

19. Posted by mcg | January 19, 2005 9:52 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

mcg:

So I told my wife, "I want to show you something, but I want to warn you it's pretty tasteless."

And I played it.

And she said, "What's the tasteless part? That he probably ruined the appetites of the people eating lunch because they saw his guts splatter?"

Ahh. I married well.

Posted on January 19, 2005 21:52

Dude, funniest add ever! Pe... (Below threshold)

20. Posted by fansipans | January 19, 2005 9:56 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

fansipans:

Dude, funniest add ever! Perfect! The triumph of western technology over mid-eastern barbarism! Snap!

Posted on January 19, 2005 21:56

Maybe we're both way too ti... (Below threshold)

21. Posted by Mike | January 19, 2005 10:33 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Mike:

Maybe we're both way too tired, but the wife and I had a very long belly laugh when we saw the ad. I only wish that VW had the guts to have done it for real.

Truth is, in our culture we deal with maniacs and lunatics by turning them into buffoons. Hence, Dr. Strangelove's Coke-bottle glasses and arm that keeps stiffening up into a Nazi salute, or Jake and Elwood Blues chasing neo-Nazi Henry Gibson off a bridge in a Ford Pinto.

All in all, I'd give it a solid 8 / 10.

Posted on January 19, 2005 22:33

Truth is, in our culture we... (Below threshold)

22. Posted by willow | January 19, 2005 10:38 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

willow:

Truth is, in our culture we deal with maniacs and lunatics by turning them into buffoons.

Mike, I couldn't agree more. That muffled explosion that made the small car rock - ever so slightly - while the passersby looked on and a 'terrorist' was obliterated was so satisfying. I'll admit it, I bellylaughed too.

Posted on January 19, 2005 22:38

Sorry - the blockquote thin... (Below threshold)

23. Posted by willow | January 19, 2005 10:39 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Sorry - the blockquote thing didn't work in my post above. The first sentence was Mike's.

Posted on January 19, 2005 22:39

Maybe, the people who do fi... (Below threshold)

24. Posted by julie | January 19, 2005 10:52 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Maybe, the people who do find it tasteless and are offended by it, should explain why.

Posted on January 19, 2005 22:52

I liked it. I would never ... (Below threshold)

25. Posted by King of Fools | January 19, 2005 11:06 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

King of Fools:

I liked it. I would never air it if I were Volkswagen because some topics cannot be touched, but no one of consequence dies in the spot and it is a funny way to demonstrate the qualities of your product. (Ok - albeit exagerated.)

Posted on January 19, 2005 23:06

- Comes with extended bulle... (Below threshold)

26. Posted by Big Bang Hunter | January 19, 2005 11:17 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Big Bang Hunter:

- Comes with extended bullet hole repair and 1 detonation warrenty.....

Posted on January 19, 2005 23:17

- make that 100,000 miles o... (Below threshold)

27. Posted by Big Bang Hunter | January 19, 2005 11:18 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

- make that 100,000 miles or ten detonations, which ever comes first... your millage may vary....

Posted on January 19, 2005 23:18

no one of consequence di... (Below threshold)

28. Posted by julie | January 19, 2005 11:23 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

no one of consequence dies

Yep. In fact just the opposite happens: A couple of men (who appear to be of the mideastern persuasion), several young women, a mother, and an innocent baby -- their lives were saved.

When did we have to start apologizing for wanting the bad guys to die? I know, I know. For a long time now. Bleh.

Posted on January 19, 2005 23:23

Oh, yeah. "It got out a... (Below threshold)

29. Posted by Jinx McHue | January 19, 2005 11:30 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Jinx McHue:

Oh, yeah. "It got out accidentally." Mmm-hmm. Tell me another one. Lee and Dan just got oodles of free publicity.

Posted on January 19, 2005 23:30

Unfortunately, they are jus... (Below threshold)

30. Posted by julie | January 19, 2005 11:37 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Unfortunately, they are just as likely to get death threats.

Posted on January 19, 2005 23:37

I loved it.It's fu... (Below threshold)

31. Posted by leelu | January 20, 2005 12:23 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

leelu:

I loved it.

It's funny, at the expense of, well, terrorists.

Go Lee & Dan!!

Posted on January 20, 2005 00:23

i loved the commercial...so... (Below threshold)

32. Posted by iggi | January 20, 2005 12:53 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

iggi:

i loved the commercial...somehow i find the way this video was distributed and by who it mas made The best way this commercial could have gotten out.

Posted on January 20, 2005 00:53

Let's try that again... Fun... (Below threshold)

33. Posted by Cybrludite | January 20, 2005 4:02 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Cybrludite:

Let's try that again... Funniest thing I've seen in a while. (I'll be the first to admit, though, that I'll laugh at the strangest things) As far as I'm concerned, if it offends the fatwa-f****hers then I'm all for it!

Posted on January 20, 2005 04:02

I'm with the ones who think... (Below threshold)

34. Posted by Kathy K | January 20, 2005 6:13 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Kathy K:

I'm with the ones who think it's funny. PTG and I must be of an age, I also immediately thought of the National Lampoon ad (they got in a lot of trouble for that one but it was funny too).

Posted on January 20, 2005 06:13

Nothing wrong with this ad,... (Below threshold)

35. Posted by Rob Hackney | January 20, 2005 1:34 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Rob Hackney:

Nothing wrong with this ad, were it a real ad. The only people getting pissed off would be the terrorists, and only the loony left PC liberals give a shit about them.

Posted on January 20, 2005 13:34

VW Ad - Incredibly Tasteless Or A Hoax?

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