EOC Week 1: VW Lemon

How could Volkswagen sell Hitler’s favorite car to the American people only a decade and a half after World War II? This was the question asked of the advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach in 1960. In order for them to solve this problem, they would have to find a new way to advertise their products. The now revered “Lemon” ad for the Beetle was their answer to this considerable task, which would revolutionize the advertising industry. DDB introduced the Beetle with this dynamic ad that seemed effortless, yet possessed a revolutionary approach to marketing. It connected with consumers, successfully integrating European small design into a culture with a big lifestyle. This ad, along with others from the campaign, was the first to represent a perfect balance of image, copy and simplicity, setting a benchmark that has inspired advertisers to do better ever since

Yet even as "Beetlemania" continued across the land, a threat was on the horizon, and it wasn't coming from Europe or Detroit. Though Volkswagen increased sales throughout the 1960s to remain America's top-selling foreign make, its share of the import-car market withered from 67 percent in 1965 to a less commanding 51 percent by decade's end.

In other words, small-car demand was still rising, but the Beetle no longer drove it. Who was? Two little-known companies called Toyota and Datsun, then starting to sell high-quality small cars with performance, room, comfort, features, and even style that put the Beetle in the shade -- and for no more money.
Suddenly, the Beetle looked very old. It still had charm, yet everyone -- Wolfsburg included -- knew that it could no longer be relied upon to guarantee Volkswagen's continued good health. After decades of unbridled success, the Beetle was running out of time.