Dani Cummings Week 4


When thinking about American advertisements and graphic design before and after World War II I think it’s interesting to look at the values of the American public. I think a good example of this is the Volkswagen Lemon ad that started in 1951 after years of the Volkswagen not selling well in the United States because of its connection with Nazi Germany. The Lemon ad  not only made fun of the fact that the general public was skeptical of the Volkswagen, but it painted it in the new light that it was made to be repaired, it was long lasting for the people. Yes it was a Lemon, it is an average care, but it was made for you. This shift grew to show the effectiveness of advertising and how communication and pleasant imagery can change perception. These ads not only comment on the lasting affects WWII had on the American public but also show the change in mentality of what an ad could do and what it could mean for the public. You can see the residue of this shift in advertisements today, we are not afraid to make bold statements in line with a brand. This of course doesn’t always reflect well on the brand itself but the option to decide what your company wants to be known for is something that really stemmed from this advertisement itself. The idea that less could be more and that the car itself should sell not this perceived notion of what having a car meant changed the car advertisement industry for good.


Volkswagen Advertising Campaign by Helmut Krone (1960) Retrieved from http://www.carstyling.ru/en/entry/Volkswagen_Advertising_Campaign_by_Helmut_Krone_1960_Think_Small/
Volkswagen Microbus Advertising Campaign, Johannes Leonardo, 2017 Retrieved from https://mymodernmet.com/vw-id-buzz-2019/

Volkswagen Advertising, Helmut Krone 1969 Retrieved from https://medium.com/theagency/the-ad-that-changed-advertising-18291a67488c



Comments

  1. Ivy MarkhamFebruary 5, 2020 at 1:04 PM

    I love the modernity and simplicity of these advertisements and think it's very interesting to see how Volkswagen chose to advertise to the American public. As you said, I enjoy that the advertisements are about the car itself, it doesn't depict a wealthy man or a perfect family or something that preys on consumer fantasies. Currently, thinking about car advertisements, there seems to be a pretty even mix between these two strategies.

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