shots 20th: 1997 - Making vroom for VW

Volkswagen has enjoyed countless vintage campaigns, but 1997 saw some of the best, recalls Danny Edwards

Shots may be 20 years old but you’d have to go a lot further back in time to properly encapsulate the history and creativity of VW. Ned Doyle, Maxwell Dane and Bill Bernbach got together in 1949 and were soon at the centre of one of advertising’s most prolific and successful partnerships, which continues to this day. From iconic ideas like the Lemon press advert for the Beetle in 1960, to early television spots like Snowplough and Funeral – again for the Beetle – up to more recent incarnations such as Paul Weiland’s Wedding, David Bailey’s Changes, Ringan Ledwidge’s Self Defence and Noam Murro’s Dog, Volkswagen has always mined a rich creative seam.

1997, of course, was no different. This year saw the release of a trio of VW spots that picked up a slew of awards and are rightly regarded as worthy entrants to the VW canon. Two of the campaigns took a more comedic approach to the brand, focusing on the low price point of the Golf and Polo models. Lamp Post, directed by Paul Gay, saw a safety crew securing protective padding to a lamp post to protect passers-by startled by the Golf poster on a nearby wall. Meanwhile Dentist and Shopping, also by Paul Gay, featured people in jaw-dropping, dizzy spell-inducing situations after finding out how little a Golf would cost them.

Jonathan Glazer’s Polo spot, Protection, took a slightly different tack. This beautiful black and white film set to an atmospheric classical track shows a host of different situations – riot, horse race, boxing match, house fire – where making yourself small is the best way to stay safe. “Have you ever noticed how protected you feel when you make yourself small?” the end line asks before showing us the VW Polo. Small cars, yes but as ever with Volkswagen, huge ideas.

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