TOW #3: Visual - "Vamonos"

            A couple years ago, the car company Volkswagen launched a clean-diesel model of their popular Passat sedan. However, because diesel cars are quite uncommon in the US, they made a special television advertisement to go with the launch of the vehicle. The ad, titled “Vamonos”, discusses the diesel car’s extraordinary fuel range by using satire, and logical argument. Volkswagen made the ad mostly for consumers looking for a new car. More specifically, the consumer targeted had fuel efficiency and fuel range as a priority in their new car search. The ad was made just after the launch of the new diesel model, in order to increase consumer awareness and sales of the car. Although mainly targeted toward consumers, Volkswagen’s ad also targeted other car makers, starting an “arms race” to see which maker could bring out a new car with more efficiency and range than other models. The ad was released in 2011, during the time when diesel car sales in the US market were starting to pick up some speed.  Therefore, this was perfect timing on Volkswagen’s part in order to get consumers into showrooms. Despite the increase in sales, consumers still needed an incentive to buy Volkswagen’s new car, and that incentive turned out to be the fuel economy and range of the car. The advertisement showcases this feature by using some satire. As the two men in the ad begin their road trip after refueling their car, they start to learn Spanish. By the time they pull into another gas station, they have learned enough Spanish for one man to yell at the other, in Spanish, for putting a language CD on in the car. This is an example of satire because it emphasizes the range of the vehicle and the time it takes for the car to run out of diesel. Secondly, it also displays a logical argument, because the fuel range of the car, which was displayed at the end of the ad as 795 miles, is actually very long for a car, even one fueled by diesel. Volkswagen were able to achieve their purpose of increasing consumer awareness in the car because their appeal to logos showed the range of the car, and the satire used emphasized it, in order to make it memorable to the consumer. Finally, they were also able to show other car makers the extent of their technology with this ad.

Here is a link to the advertisement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oOVqUInA6w