Monday, February 20, 2006

how i weep for my lost muse

everyone assumes that with me being a huge sports nut that my dream account would be nike. and trust me, working on nike would be a dream. but it's not my biggest dream.

it's always been volkswagon.

i loved the humanity in those spots. it was never about the car; it's about the drivers. that's so damn true. without people, cars are just tin cans on wheels. think about how you are with your car. your car says so much about you. that's why there's such a big connection with people and their cars. there's such a strong truth in that.

that spot with the four college kids in a cabriolet driving to a party with the top down and the night sky above them as nick drake sings "pink moon" and then deciding to keep on driving? about as heartwarming as a commercial can get.

and that spot where the guy rushes to the wedding, and you realize that he's not the groom but rather he's there to break the whole thing up? about as dramatic as a commercial can get.

but now vw changed agencies and, essentially, changed their brand.

they're now all about getting in touch to your "fast" - which sounds like a thing that other car companies would say.

did i mention that "fast" is some sort of thing in a car? hey, i know it's metaphorical, but it comes across as forced and creepy.

this from a client who never forced a thing.

hey, crispin porter bogusky obviously knows what they're doing, and they're usually way ahead of the curve, but i'm not sure about this. if there were one brand that held a bastion of integrity and humanity above others, it was volkswagon, but now it seems like all the others.

here's to hoping there's a bright light at the end of this campaign.

we'll see.

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