The original beetle was commissioned in the 30s as the “people’s car” (or Volks Wagen in German). Designed by none other than Ferdinand Porsche, the curvilicious 4-wheeler drove on the scene being the affordable, practice and safe alternative to other brands. Since its initial creation, the Beetle has become the single most produced car in the world with over 21 million units leaving the factory. It became a symbol of not just an era but also a free spirited lifestyle. Think flower power, bell bottoms, hippie culture and freedom.
In 1955, the 1,000,000th Beetle was produced. In 1967, the 10,000,000th Beetle came out. By June 23rd, 1992, over 21 million Beetles had been produced.
Here’s the shocker!
With such an amazing product, would you believe that initially, the sales were very weak? In fact, the sales didn’t pick up until a brilliant print marketing spread introduced the tag line “small is beautiful.” One ad described the Beetle and Coke Bottle as the two best known shapes in the world. Another ad was produced with the title “What the world loves about Germany” with a colorful montage of images: A cuckoo clock, sauerkraut with dumplings, Hedelberg, a dachshund, the Lorelei and a Beetle.
The car would remain profitable for the next 15 years!
The New Beetle
How could the company keep the interest up? In 1998, VW introduced a brand new design and relied less on marketing and more on its own new look to market the car.
Every time you would see the round shaped Beetle driving down a street crowded by box-shaped vehicles, it was a breath of fresh air that imprinted itself in our conversations. Cute, original, different.
Conclusion:
Does your product have what it takes to enjoy the same success as the iconic VW Beetle? Even with the most amazing product, you need a strong marketing campaign to bring it into mass consciousness and compell audiences around the world to make a purchase.
The award-winning team at GoDRTV has a history of creating eye-catching Marketing Campaigns and effective TV Commercials in Los Angeles and across the Nation. If you would like us to help you create a powerful video for your company, let’s chat!
