Volkswagen, Super Bowl Commercial Success
February 6, 2011
Released for the Super Bowl in 2011, Volkswagen’s “The Force” has since been shared 5.4 million times. Focused around a young child dressed as the Star Wars villain, Darth Vader, the child attempts to use his “force,” but in doing so fails. When his father, who is in the kitchen, sees the child trying to start up his car with his “powers,” he manages to turn the lights on and rev the engine.
The advertisement attempted to communicate to mainstream audience the variety and diversity of Volkswagen products, apart from the iconic Beetle. Volkswagen was struggling in the market, as its products were thought to be undersized and overpriced. Through the television spot, the brand tried to position itself as trendy and youthful. By using an emotional appeal, rather than an informational one, “The Force” was quite different from any other advertisement by the brand. The main focus resided on the people within the advertisement, only at the end signaling to the brand and slogan.
Though the commercial was aired for the first time during Super Bowl 2011, it went viral on YouTube before appearing on television. The popularity of the advertisement has proved the importance in the media choice and scheduling of this campaign.