VW releases ad teaser: No car, no problem
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WASHINGTON -- Volkswagen of America gave a glimpse of its Super Bowl spot today with an online teaser video, and like another of the automaker's most recent advertisements, it does not include a car.
The teaser, made by VW's agency of record, Deutsch of Los Angeles, Calif., shows the unhappy characters from viral Internet videos finding happiness. They end up dancing in a field with reggae musician Jimmy Cliff as he sings a cover of "Come On Get Happy," the theme song of the 1970s TV show "The Partridge Family."
The teaser ends with the phrase "Time to Get Happy," hinting at a possible tagline for VW and showing that the brand, which had a smash hit two years ago with "The Force," featuring a child dressed as Darth Vader, plans to stick to its formula of lighthearted humor.
It has many of the hallmarks of VW's recent "Smiles" advertisement, which showed people of all ages laughing -- and, in a breach of the conventional wisdom of automotive advertising, did not show a car.
That spot, which debuted in September, was made months earlier and was in fact the runner-up for Volkswagen's spot in last year's Super Bowl, Volkswagen of America Chief Marketing Officer Timothy Mahoney says.
"Smiles was brave," Mahoney says. "We invested a lot of money to show an advertisement without any of our vehicles."
VW featured the redesigned Passat in its Super Bowl spot two years ago. Last year it showcased the redesigned Beetle. The brand has yet to release its 60-second spot for this year's game.
You can reach Gabe Nelson at gnelson@crain.com.
