How It Should Be Done

I do a lot of moaning about adverts that I don't like. I guess it is easier to destroy than to create, so perhaps it is about time I congratulated someone. My choice is a company who have had great adverts for as long as I can remember –Volkswagen.

Firstly, they pass that "We care so little about you…" test. They have British adverts (or at least they appear to) – Renault, Saab and company could learn a lot from really identifying with your target market. When I see a Volkswagen advert, I know that it has been made for me and they tend to use very British emotional tactics.

Because they do this, they are memorable. Go on, name me a Saab advert from the '80s… I bet you remember the Golf GTi / fur coat ad though!

The latest ads are particularly good. I have seen two of them but there may be more. The ones I have seen are for the Golf and the Passat.

The Golf advert is clearly targeting young men in the 25-35 age group. A thirtyish bloke who wants to make an impression on the world is shown to be shallow and lonely, whereas the smart choice is the Golf. Coupled with a great rendition of the fantastic Platters song The Great Pretender, it really does hot a chord.

For me the Passat advert is even more memorable – the type of advert that I mention down the pub. It features a succession of men having a mid-life crisis and targets the 35-45 group. Obviously the smart choice for these men is to drive a Passat rather than have a "big motorbike" – much more practical for the school run!

Any British man in these age groups and the right socio-economic group (ABC1s) can identify with the characters involved. If you identify, you are more likely to remember. If you remember you are more likely to buy.

By getting people to identify with the advert, Volkswagen have pushed them along that Awareness – Interest – Desire – Action path towards buying (see AIDA). That is the ultimate goal of an advert and they are past masters.

Well done Volkswagen and may your approach rub off on some of the bland Euro-dross out there! 

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