[At BAKER, we’re passionate about branding – not just the brands we have the privilege of working on – but all sorts of brands that we engage with on a daily basis. In ‘Brands We Love’ one of our infatuated brand stewards takes a deeper look at one of the brands they are passionate about; examining what the brand means to them and why.]
I LOVE VOLKSWAGEN.
They are, in my book, one of the great brands out there. They came back really strong a little over 10 years ago with the relaunch of the VW Beetle and then redesigns of the rest of their line of vehicles. They were obviously around consistently before that, but they managed in a short amount of time to raise their profile and it has drawn me in.
AESTHETICS
In the beginning man made the car. It was square and simple–utilitarian at best. Over a century’s time though, the car has been re-imagined and bares little resemblance to the very first models… thank goodness right? People buy cars based on aesthetics and it has long been thought that we personify our vehicles. The front is the face and the body has elegant curves. We nickname them, determine them in our minds, to be male or female and associate a sort of personality with them. They may be an extension of our own self-image or a complement to it. This to me is the first major revelation in the VW line. They figured out how to create good aesthetic design that would appeal to our driving personas. VW designers understand evolutionary design. The redesigns of their cars stay current and are at the head of the trends. We car buyers want the next new thing. We will flock to the one NEW model on the lot over a previous model year, even at the expense of paying more. But there is a risk you run when evolving your product line and that is, if you evolve too fast you can outpace people’s comfort level. Somehow VW has found that perfect rhythm and have yet to leave me feeling empty about the new designs.
VIRTUALLY YOU
The most important part of the VW experience is of course the drive. When you get behind the wheel of your car, you have to like how it sits, drives, and handles. Prior to shopping for a VW, I had never driven one. I had no idea what to expect other than what I had seen in their marketing. I have to admit I was already a bit of a fan but from the first turn of the key, I felt like I had just stepped into a virtual reality simulator. The overall handling of the car felt like an extension of my own body. It moved (and stopped) like it knew what I wanted it to do before I actually asked it to do anything. The best way to describe my impression was to compare it to how a cat moves. There was a verve to it and I was sold!
BRAND EXPERIENCE
Now you can like the way a car handles but still not feel like it’s you. For example I know Ferrari makes some pretty nice cars, but I am not a Ferrari. I wish I could be, but I am not. The VW brand experience is far more inclusive. They have a spunky refined design to suit a wide gamut of folks, from funky grandmas, hip 20 and 30somethings to serious car geeks. And that is where VW has won hearts. Their marketing speaks to our quirky side. Their print ads personify their cars as clever and chic. And for the lead footed VW owners they have a campaign that caters to the inner ego they have dubbed “My Fast”. (More on that in a bit.) The People’s Car, really is all about the whole experience of being in a VW. Think blonds have more fun? You haven’t been watching the VW drivers around you.
CUSTOMIZE YOUR VW
To further enhance the brand personality VW has devoted considerable resources to providing smart solutions to accessorize your car to fit who you are. Luggage racks, bike racks, decals, bobbles, rims and sports accents are just a few of ways they have made branded components to fit with their product line. The only other company I can think of that approaches their products and brand in such a 360˚ way would be Apple. If you design everything in a non-generic, “made for me” sort of way people will respond favorably! Call me a VW freak… I don’t care–I am.
HUMOROUS ZEALOTS
…And that leads me back to their underlying sense of humor within their brand. Perhaps the most top of mind example of their humor would be their 2011 Superbowl commercial featuring Mini Darth Vader trying to harness the force, highlighting the new auto start feature.
Humor isn’t a new gimmick for VW. Their ad campaigns have been rooted in personal humor for years and years now. It was all part of their re-emergence. Two dudes bobbing to “Domo Arigato, Mister Roboto” in a mall parking lot… Two roommates scouring the streets of San Fran for curbside treasure in their Rabbit find and quickly relinquish a recliner because it smells bad… and their “Performance Class” campaign for “My Fast” where an inner dialogue representing the driver’s alter-ego is personified by a round little demon who eggs them on.
Sure someone could claim this is reckless, but it’s much more innocent than that, and speaks of the spunk and swagger within the car and you. It’s not how you get there, it’s how much fun you have going and how good you look when you arrive, you might say. In the end, good design, simple logos and symbology partnered with smart marketing have given VW a very strong brand that is entrenched in my heart and imagination.
- Bryan C. Entzel
