[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/crazy-vw-ads-of-the-60s\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/crazy-vw-ads-of-the-60s\/","headline":"The Crazy VW Ads Of The 60s","name":"The Crazy VW Ads Of The 60s","description":"Just how outrageous were the Volkswagen adverts of the 60s? In an era of big cars that all looked the same, the VW Beetle and Station Wagon stuck out like a pair of sore thumbs. The German manufacturers didn\u2019t run away from this, instead, they flaunted it by bragging how tiny, ugly and cheap their cars are. You\u2019re probably thinking this doesn\u2019t sound like good advertising at all, but VW new exactly what they were doing. Here are some of […]","datePublished":"2018-09-10","dateModified":"2018-12-05","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/The-Crazy-VW-Ads-Of-The-60s-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/The-Crazy-VW-Ads-Of-The-60s-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/crazy-vw-ads-of-the-60s\/","about":["Cars","CLASSIC CARS","LATEST CAR NEWS","Volkswagen"],"wordCount":520,"keywords":["volkswagen","Volkswagen Ads","vw"],"articleBody":"Just how outrageous were the Volkswagen adverts of the 60s?In an era of big cars that all looked the same, the VW Beetle and Station Wagon stuck out like a pair of sore thumbs. The German manufacturers didn\u2019t run away from this, instead, they flaunted it by bragging how tiny, ugly and cheap their cars are. You\u2019re probably thinking this doesn\u2019t sound like good advertising at all, but VW new exactly what they were doing. Here are some of the greatest shock value ads run by VW in the 60s.VW making fun of how small the Beetle wasOne of the best, most ludicrous adverts for the Beetle was the one featuring Wilt \u201cthe stilt\u201d Chamberlain, a celebrated American basketball player. Ran in print and TV form, the advert basically said that the car is too small to fit someone that is 7 ft 1 in tall. Not unusual or anything to be ashamed of, but why would you bother to advertise what your car can\u2019t do?American car manufacturers of the 60s would consider it unthinkable to market a car as \u201csmall\u201d or \u201ctiny\u201d due to the \u201cbigger is better\u201d attitude of consumers at the time.VW calling their cars uglyCalling your product small is one thing, but calling it ugly could be seen as a step too far. Were the marketing team mad?VW saying how slow the Beetle isVW making a joke of their lack of design changesAnother popular theme of their self-deprecating jokes is the lack of innovation in the Beetle from the late 50s to the 70s.Lack of innovation is normally something a car company would like to hide. VW, on the other hand, seemed to brag about it. Just one of the many negative things that they managed to spin up into a great marketing campaign.Were these shock-tactic ads successful?Despite VW trying their best to make a joke of the Beetles, they still sold fairly well. Thanks to their practicality (small, cheap to buy, cheap parts, great mpg) and unique style, they were very popular and were America\u2019s top-selling foreign brand throughout the 50s and 60s. It wasn\u2019t until the late 60s that VW began to have some fierce competition from Toyota.These ads may have successfully made many Americans turn their nose up at the thought of owning an ugly, cheap, foreign car such as the Beetle, but at the same time, it got even more people to buy one. The adverts served their purpose, which was to get people talking. It didn\u2019t take long for the Beetle to be a household name they every American knew.Furthermore, we\u2019ve only shown you the negative ads, but there were plenty of positive ones as well, promoting the car\u2019s reliability and low cost. But an ad that calls its own car ugly is always more entertaining than one that boasts how great it is!Are you a classic VW owner and in need of car insurance? Click here to get a quote for your car via our sponsor Performance Direct."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Crazy VW Ads Of The 60s","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/crazy-vw-ads-of-the-60s\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]