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Chief Strategic Officer DDB Needham Worldwide James Best spoke
on the legendary car 'Volkswagen Beetle'.
"A cult brand makes a statement about being different". Early
in his speech he spoke of McDonalds and Pepsi not being cult
brands as they have too much mass appeal. He then took the
audience through the history of the car.
In America the car became a 'love bug'. People found that
they could make a personal emotional connection and owners
of a Beetle felt that they belonged to an alternative society.
This was not the case in a place like Mexico as everyone had
a Beetle. There it was known as the belly button - everyone
had it!
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"A
cult brand makes a statement about being different."
James Best |
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The
advertising campaign run in America was carried over to Europe
with much success proving that certain forms of advertising
have the ability to traverse cultures. The company believes
in a simple philosophy he said.
'Meaning is created by difference'. Volkswagen's motto is
'The democratisation of excellence' which is not as simple
as it looks. The 'love bug' car became famous in the Herbie
movies where celluloid fans could follow its adventures.
The
Beetle was noted for its straightforward attitude and honesty.
It rejected a flashy and prestigious status by being understated
and by having a keen sense of wit.
Then the car stopped being manufactured in the late 1970s
and was resurrected accidentally in 1998. The new Beetle appealed
to Baby Boomers nostalgic about the innocence of youth. The
new Beetle also promised the dream of eternal youth which
was borne out in the film 'Austin Powers 2'. The transition
from hippiness to happiness was not too difficult for the
new car.
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"The
former model was practical, durable and at the same
time economical. The new Beetle rejecting old fashioned
values proved an expensive, irrational and eye-popping
proposition."
James Best
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Best pointed out the difference between the old and new Beetle.
The former was practical, durable and at the same time economical.
The new Beetle rejecting old fashioned values proved an expensive,
irrational and eye-popping proposition.
To
counter negative criticism in the UK about the car a campaign
was run saying 'frivolous on the outside, serious on the inside'.
He concluded saying that when Volkswagen made the Beetle they
did not intend for it to develop into a cult phenomenon. In
a sense the cult status attributed to the Beetle was an accident.
To make a cult brand consciously is difficult as one will
have to constantly turn away from popular decisions, he said.
Click
for details of Michael Wood's presentation
Click
for details of Lee Lynch's presentation
Click
for details of Baz Luhrmann's presentation
Click
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