TVSquad

V Dub.

Those commercials scared me.

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The comcast commercial featuring 'The Slowskys':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-qay74xihA&search=slowsky

It never gets old. :)

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Lately, the Skittles and Starburst commercials have been sticking with me, only because they're so quirky. That VW commercial scares me though. Not as much as the hip German engineer guy throwing up the V-Dub, but scary enough.

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These commercials are freaking me out as well--a friend of mine died in an automobile accident last week. Too realistic.

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I really like those commercials... Speaking of it, here are some german commercials people complained about, it's for an energy drink. Kinda old so maybe you already saw them (I think they were on Leno)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X14zAgM5HrA&search=K-Fee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TEhkOhZV5M&search=K-Fee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3GQX7d2RBI&search=K-Fee

I still laugh my ass of when I see them...

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The VW ads kinda mess with me too! I was in a serious crash several years ago that happend the exact same way as the latest VW commercial. It's very un-nerving. The "Truth" commercials about the dangers of smoking stick in my head too!

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though i am not a tv nut really i have seen two different vw accident commercials, the first time it completely shocked me, and it works, it's one of the few commercials i will probably never forget.

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I think the VW commercials are ridiculous. I am not going to all of the sudden buy a VW because the commerical is scaring me into it. I mean, promoting safety is great, but scaring people into it is out of line.

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I went to Google to search on these ads and your blog was the first hit. The ads scare the heck out of me, and I would love to find a place to register my outrage. I am not scared enough to buy a Volkswagen, if that is what the 'oh-so-cutting-edge' ad agency was hoping. But I *have* had nightmares twice, and I worry constantly when either my husband or I go out driving alone, thinking we will not make it home to each other. If anyone has a contact to whom one might complain... I am all ears (eyes). THANKS!!!! :)

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All:

In regards to the "Safe Happens" campaign by Volkswagen, I also cannot stand the ads anymore and fully intend to do something about this.

I've started with a letter to Volkswagen PR as follows:

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I, and a growing number of people throughout the country are incredibly upset over Volkswagen's "Safe Happens" advertising campaign.

I was involved in a very serious car accident, while in the passenger seat at 55mph (when the driver was not at fault) and I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result.

This campaign by Volkswagen is, in my opinion, disgusting and I intend to file complaints with the US FCC and FTC, as work to bring a class-action lawsuit in US federal court, New York district.

Volkswagen's ads set out to sell product by deliberately harming the mental and emotional well being of television viewers. Web sites describe people around the country with PTSD or other mental and emotional disorders who are suffering because of Volkswagen.

It's important to note that, in my case, I believe the "Safe happens" ad campaign is disrespectful and dehumanizing. The only place Volkswagen will drive me in the future is far away from purchasing a Volkswagen vehicle. This potential customer is gone for life, as are most likely many others that are watching the "safe happens" campaign these days.

If you would like to speak to me, I can be reached at XXX-XXX-XXXX. In the meantime, I will actively pursue all legal methods to remove the "safe happens" campaign from the air.

Donald Rau

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What I intend to do about this is as follows:

1) Start a quick website that allows to petition against this ad campaign.

2) Contact the FCC (Fed. Communications Commission) and FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and register complaints.

3) Continue to deal with Volkswagen, although I don't see them being very responsive.

4) Work with several consumer watchdog groups to add pressure.

5) Pressure my cable and TV companies to remove the ad.

6) If none of this works, commence a class action lawsuit if there is enough support out there.

Please let me know your thoughts, tell me if I'm just crazy, or let me know if you're with me on this. I am serious about this. This is advertising with the intention to create harm and distress in consumers. There is a legal basis for this.

Thanks.

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Has no one seen the all state insurance commercials where the couple is talking about going to a concert and then suddenly a car hits them?

They pulled it and then reaired it with a warning 'This commercial may be disturbing to some people.'

And there was another commercial a year or two ago, i forget what it was for (i think life insurance) and it had this guy in bed with his pregnant wife, and she wakes him up because of her cravings for ice cream. He groans and gets up, and sees they are out, so he gets in the car, and as he is pulling out BAM a truck hits his car. I think it then said "Is your family protected if the unthinkable happens?" or something (it may not have been life insurance, i only saw it twice before it was pulled)

Its bad enough they are stealing ad ideas, but why steal bad ads?

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Mr. Rau, I think you need to lighten up a bit. We don't need the FTC or FCC regulating us any more than they already do. The ads are an attempt to grab our attention. Rather than simply show a sanitized crash test or a star rating, they show a realistic scenario. Not many of us deliberately drive a car into a barrier, but a lot of us have been (or nearly have been) in a scenario like the commercial

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Alan, I am all for free speech, powerful advertising and the like. I know in today's competitive economy manufacturers need to sell products through all means possible.

I do think that the Volkswagen ad (and the old Allstate ads) as described above cross the line by deliberately creating and inflicting mental harm to the viewer. This is not just about selling through fear, which happens often with many product ads. This ad is selling through creating PTSD (for some) and by creating real emotional trauma in the viewer.

These ads run on public broadcast, at random times. You can't "change the channel" They're tough to avoid, and they're deliberately meant to lure you in as if you were watching something completely unrelated.

People don't want to see this any more than they want to see live murder or the suffering of war. Networks don't play those things because they do cause emotional distress in people. People die in car accidents too. Some of those people have been loved ones - brothers, sisters, parents, friends.

For those of us that have experienced the tragedy of a car accident and had a loss, I am certain that 99% of us find these ads repulsive and offensive.

Some of you may also find it interesting to note that:
a) I have worked in the automotive industry
b) Now work for an insurance company.
c) Have worked very hard to support both industries, and am very pro-business.

99% of the time I will stand by companies in their efforts to support themselves and the economy. There is that 1% of the time, unfortunately such as now, where the human side of business and life cannot be denied when unethical companies compromise peoples' health and well being to make a profit.

I will never buy a Volkswagen now or ever. Let someone else support unethical business.

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The ads do what they are meant to, they cut through the clutter and get your attention. In no way do they "freak me out" or cause me to be scared, the threat of accidents exists with or without these commercials. The idea of a class action lawsuit baffles me.

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Mr. Rau, you can do all that but the FCC is not going to listen to a grown man cry. The ads are all within reason. There is not blood, there are no guts, there are no body parts flying around, and the add accurately displays the safety of the vehicle and all the new technology that keeps YOU and YOUR FAMILY safe in an accident. You complaining that it's "too graphic" is completely elementary. What VW is doing here is completely spectacular. What is the point of advertisements? To draw interest to your vehicle. Now, when ever anyone mentions anything about "oh you remember that add a few years ago" they will think VW and how safe it is. All you can do is whine about how "real" it is. Well, Mr. Rau, if you don't like it then turn the channel count to 20 and then change the channel back, simple. There is no need, and is a complete waste of time, for you to petition and try and go to the FCC, you'll probably be battling this for atleast a year, and what have you gotten out of it?

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Mr. Rau, you are the embodiment of everything that is wrong with our society today. Your rationale is the same logic that gives both the winning and losing teams a trophy at children's soccer games. We are so overly sensitive about the remotest possibility of offending someone or hurthing someone's feelings today that things have gotten completely out of hand.

I am truly sorry you suffer from PTSD, but so do thousands of war veterans and you don't hear them trying to get any references to war pulled from the media.

If we can't show mildly startling images on television, what can we show? Sesame Street 24/7? I'm sure there are people who are traumatized every day by crime, rape, and murder, yet we continue to depict and show such acts on dramas and in the news. Should all news of bad events be banned as well? Come on, get real here.

Thousands of car accidents just like the ones shown in the VW ads happen every day. It is a fact of life. What if you were walking down the street and saw an accident happen in front of you? Would you sue those people too because they made you feel bad?

In short, while I sympathise with your ailment, I really think you need to man up and grow a pair. Not every distressing situation in one's life requires a lawsuit.

You seem to have a lot of time on your hands. Think of all the *good* you could do for society with that time if you weren't wasting it suing Volkswagen.

-Nick

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A class action suit is much more disturbing to me than the ads are. I don't particularly like them but if seeing a car accident on tv causes you harm -- don't watch tv...there are tons of car accidents on tv and ARE a reality of life (as you experienced). I'm sorry it upsets you but I'd examine why a TV commercial has such impact on your life rather than spend time trying to for a class action lawsuit (which I don't believe would make it to any court although there has been stranger things happen). I DO think a letter to Volkswagen IS appropriate and the correct venue to complain. Other than that your post SCREAMS mountain out of a molehill.

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You people need to get a life if these commercials bother you, get real. Class action lawsuits, letters to the company, boycott tv stations,,, are you people nuts? Put the effort in trying to do some good to help society, not agrandize your situation because of some ads!

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Mr. Rau is 100% CORRECT!!! These commercials are discusting and offensive. We have a daughter and her friend killed instantly in a VW Jetta when the "safety did NOT happen" The airbags did not deploy!
These commercials glorify the exact incident that took our beautiful daughter away from us forever! My greatest problem is that Volkwagen is trying to increase sales through a marketing scheme that exploits the national public through terror! What's next VW. Showing us the funerals. These ads need to came off NOW! I have and will make contacts until these commercials are no longer coming into our livingrooms.

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All:

1) To those of you freaking out about my reference to a lawsuit, you may have missed the "If none of the above works" before it. Go back and read my original post. I'm not one for frivolous lawsuits, all I'm looking for is for someone at VW to say "We hear you and we understand your concerns" and then to work to get the ad removed. What part of "If none of the above works" did people not understand.

2) I like the statement "Mr. Rau, you are the embodiment of everything that is wrong with our society today." (see post 15). It's a pretty strong statement considering someone who knows nothing about me. It appears that I would have a lot of work to do and the world on my shoulders if that were the case.

Maybe you could say "Mr. Rau, your comments reflect a really sad trend in our society...blah blah blah" I can respect that. But the blanket statement that I'm the embodiment of everything that's wrong with society today is unintelligent. Maybe you missed my efforts to help my friends who were affected by Katrina, or how I rescue and foster abused and neglected animals. I'm not a great person, but I don't think I make the top of the nasty list :) Either way, your comments made my night.

3) I'm not trying to "agrandize" the situation (good word though) I'm honestly angry as someone who has suffered and my anger did come out in the blog. And it's also NOT about "hurting someone's feelings" as many make light of it to be. It is about corporate responsibility to not deliberately cause psychological trauma to people in order to sell cars. Personally, the ads don't "hurt my feelings" one bit. I would hope some people would know the difference between "hurt feelings" and "psychological trauma". The ads didn't jump out at me and tell me I'm fat. The ads did identically recreate a high-speed auto accident in vivid detail, almost to the point of a simulator.

4) However, the winning comment by far is the following:

"Your rationale is the same logic that gives both the winning and losing teams a trophy at children's soccer games. We are so overly sensitive about the remotest possibility of offending someone or hurthing someone's feelings today that things have gotten completely out of hand."

This has nothing to do with my rationale, and it's not the same logic. What's all this talk about "offending and hurting peoples feelings" I never once talked about feelings, did I?

What it comes down to for me, so no one puts irrelevant "logic" into my mouth again, is the following. Please quote this line when you are flaming me:

"Volkswagen uses these ads to create leverage in viewers by employing harmful psychological tactics in order to make a profit. It is poor corporate responsibility to the community and people in general."

In regards to Sesame Street 24/7, that would be boring, but still better than many of the sitcoms out there. Anyway, you eluded to war coverage, and I can tell you that war coverage is real and needed and is a part of the news. I know many veterans who skip the national news for the very reason you speak of. You also mentioned "rape" - when the news shows rape do they show the actual act as it happened from start to finish? No. Does Volkswagen show "tragic car accidents" in the actual act from start to finish? Yes.

These ads are unnecessary, and we have enough real tragedy (as you speak) that we cannot avoid. We really don't need "fake" tragedies to come up in an uncontrollable random display.

The VW ads are on at random times on different channels, cable and broadcast. They're ads not programs. Unfortunately, you can't avoid them, and believe me if I could avoid them completely by flipping the channel this blog would not exist and nor would my efforts with Volkswagen.

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