Tales of
Touareg and other adventures in branding By Charles Warnock
You’re not likely to see a Volkswagen in winner’s circle at Daytona or Indianapolis. But if there were a competition called Brand-Building 500, you would find a VW in winner’s circle, year after year. Everyone knows touchstones of branding – visibility, value, consistency and loyalty. But few companies are more skilled than VW at putting these pieces together.
VW owners become emotionally invested in their cars, invent pet names for them and treat them like extended family members. In addition to automobile enthusiasts, many marketing professionals are fans of brand. VW’s irreverent image and clever television ad campaigns speak to young buyers today with a message that’s consistent with one that spoke to their parents 30 years ago. If you’re a free-spirited kind of person who wants a car with personality, come join us. Among marketers, company’s promotional prowess is legendary:
The final VW Bug, forerunner of today’s Beetle, rolled off production line in 2003 – last of more than 21 million sold worldwide since 1930s. In addition to dozens of books about Bug, several compilations of VW’s award-winning print ad campaigns have been published.
A “Transparent Factory” in Dresden, Germany features glass walls that enable residents to see firsthand how VW luxury sedans are manufactured. Finished vehicles are displayed in a glass tower before being delivered to their new owners.
In 1973-74, company sold 30,000 VW “Things” – a re-badged German military vehicle that looks very much like love child of a jeep and a dumpster – to enthusiastic U.S. buyers.
And now comes Touareg, VW’s entry into luxury SUV market. The Touareg is apparently a first-rate SUV with what USA Today calls “style, grace and growl.” But Touareg? Come on. Passat is an odd name, but “Touareg” sounds like something that needs calamine lotion.
Worship me or die
Perhaps Americans will appreciate that Touareg gets its name from colorful bands of Saharan nomads known for their endurance and striking appearance. On plus side, it’s a pretty safe bet that Touareg doesn’t mean “won’t go” in Spanish. Perhaps Volkswagen thought that all rugged-sounding regional names, like Tahoe and Santa Fe, were taken. The VW “Peoria” or “Levittowner” just doesn’t have same caché.
It’s a good bet that if you looked through enough sci-fi novels, you would encounter an evil warlord called Touareg Terrible who aims to enslave a galaxy or kidnap a lovely Empress. What’s next? Ming Mercury? The Plymouth Vader? On other hand, a “Worship Me or Die!” ad campaign for Touareg would be a refreshing change of pace from those friendly, self-deprecating Beetle commercials.
