List,

    I was working at a Volkswagen, Porsche' Dealership in the early 80's, in
Southeast Texas. The GM/Sales Manager and his next in command would "act" in
all TV commercials for the store. If you were in Southeast TX, at that time
watching channel 12 (Beaumont) I'll bet you remember them.
    The premise was always the same. They were very loud, with an off the
wall topic, a lot of action, noise, screaming, smoke bombs, lights, crazy
costumes, make up, etc. When one came on, you would need to turn down your
TV to stand it.
    Well everyone hated them. People would see my uniform in public, and
stop me to complain. People who weren't customers would call and bitch at
the telephone receptionist. They even called the TV station. Folks were just
plain mad about the ad's! The ad's were not vulgar or anything like that,
just loud and goofy.
    I mentioned this to the GM at a dealership meeting one day. Well I
learned a little about mass salesmanship from the answer.
    He had been to some Volkswagen sales school. Where he learned, it does
not matter that one agree with the ad's copy, the general point, the actors,
their costumes, etc. What matters is that the targeted public remember the
product. The whole point of an ad is to generate interest, discussion, buzz.
Keep the product on the tongue of the masses. If so then the money is well
spent, as long as the point is made.
    WELL, IT'S WORKING!
    Anyone remember the Muriel Cigar ad's of the sixty's, with Edie Adams?

Howard

ps: BTW, our sales always went up after one of his crazy campaigns.

>Subject: Re: New VW Commercials<

>Are the VW fast commecials stupid?  Yes.  Are people stupid?  Yes.  Does<