# I don't understand the point of this commercial. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 21, 2013, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926 "2013-02-21T00:24:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/21 "2013-02-21T07:33:13Z")
My point wasn’t that I literally didn’t understand what the commercial was for (I watched it through to the end, several times, this week alone, and saw the VW sponsorship) but that I literally had no idea within a minute of seeing it which product it was for. By that standard, a very bad commercial. ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/22 "2013-02-21T14:53:50Z")
" I literally had no idea within a minute of seeing it which product it was for. By that standard, a very bad commercial. " Possibly, but luckily for all of those who did understand the ad, you are not the standard. As you note you feel “even dumber for having to have it explained to me.” If feeling “dumber” now, what is the step below? One last thing, you state you saw the “VW sponsorship”. Do you mean in the form of the shot of the shiny new car and the large print-over of the name of the company, the model and the starting price, and the smaller disclaimer at the lower part of the screen describing the model shown and the price with those options and the additional info that dealers set prices and that taxes and etc were additional and then the full screen VW logo and motto at the very end? I’ll just ask one question - why did you think a car and the price of that car was the featured at the end of the live action if not to advertise the car? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/23 "2013-02-21T14:59:59Z")
One more dense Daisy asking about all this: what is a ricer? Like a rice-burner Japanese bike except a car? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/24 "2013-02-21T15:07:05Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > One more dense Daisy asking about all this: what is a ricer? Like a rice-burner Japanese bike except a car? Yes. For me, it’s a way to mash potatoes, but some people drive them. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/25 "2013-02-21T15:08:26Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > One more dense Daisy asking about all this: what is a ricer? Like a rice-burner Japanese bike except a car? Yes. Your basic Honda or Toyota, usually, with a minimum of $5000 in dress-up (paint, whale tail, wheels, fart can, etc.) and $0-50k in actual performance mods. Some are vicious little b-tards I wouldn’t challenge with a Ferrari, but the majority are playing dress-up. A lot arise from a teen starter car that is rodded $10 at a time for a long, long time, resulting in a $4,000 car with $15k in mods worth, net, about $2,500. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/26 "2013-02-21T15:13:27Z")
One thing about VW commercials, they’re always pretty witty or amusing. While the points they’re trying to get across will change I always know to pay attention because as a common denominator they’re going to be entertaining. An old favorite was the ‘claim your VW’ message a few years back when they had a prospective buyer in a VW showroom lick the door handle so another approaching buyer would turn away. There’s a current one now where the [dad is playing catch with his son](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxAo8_JySkM), the son throws the ball like crap and just when you think the dad will show him the right way, he throws it in identical horrible fashion. I laughed and I’ll watch their next one because it’s going to make me smile. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/27 "2013-02-21T15:24:39Z")
> [@FrankJBN](#): > > I’ll just ask one question - why did you think a car and the price of that car was the featured at the end of the live action if not to advertise the car? Some people think ads have to overtly sell something all the way through. The truth is that advertising has evolved to the point where you need only catch the viewer/reader’s eye long enough to impress one image and a brand name on them, and the rest can be dancing field mice. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/28 "2013-02-21T15:25:29Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > See, I thought it was the _daughter_ that was embarrassed of her boyfriend’s car, so she insisted that they take the VW, and the mother agreed. This is kind of what I thought, except I thought both the mother and the daughter were embarrassed by the boyfriend’s car. Didn’t even think of the safety aspect. It was kind of stupid of mom to let the teenagers use her bigger car thus giving them more room to screw. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/29 "2013-02-21T15:30:12Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > See, I thought it was the _daughter_ that was embarrassed of her boyfriend’s car, so she insisted that they take the VW, and the mother agreed. I thought the same thing, mostly because I ignore the voiceover. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/30 "2013-02-21T18:52:37Z")
> [@FrankJBN](#): > > " I literally had no idea within a minute of seeing it which product it was for. By that standard, a very bad commercial. " > > Possibly, but luckily for all of those who did understand the ad, you are not the standard. As you note you feel “even dumber for having to have it explained to me.” > > If feeling “dumber” now, what is the step below? > > One last thing, you state you saw the “VW sponsorship”. Do you mean in the form of the shot of the shiny new car and the large print-over of the name of the company, the model and the starting price, and the smaller disclaimer at the lower part of the screen describing the model shown and the price with those options and the additional info that dealers set prices and that taxes and etc were additional and then the full screen VW logo and motto at the very end? > > I’ll just ask one question - why did you think a car and the price of that car was the featured at the end of the live action if not to advertise the car? My mind was busy figuring out “What’s the relationship here?” “Why the heck was the trunk full of junk?” “What does this white-boy have to do with rap music?” “Why were they driving each other’s car?” “Is the mom mad at her daughter? Why?” and the other 85 questions, all that registered was “OK, VW, cool” and I promptly forgot even that. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/31 "2013-02-21T22:26:17Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > “What does this white-boy have to do with rap music?” You really don’t think white suburban boys listen to rap? Frankie Avalon hasn’t had a top 40 hit in over 50 years and boys don’t really listen to One Direction (unless trying to make their girlfriends happy). ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/32 "2013-02-21T22:36:11Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > One thing about VW commercials, they’re always pretty witty or amusing. While the points they’re trying to get across will change I always know to pay attention because as a common denominator they’re going to be entertaining. > > An old favorite was the ‘claim your VW’ message a few years back when they had a prospective buyer in a VW showroom lick the door handle so another approaching buyer would turn away. > > There’s a current one now where the [dad is playing catch with his son](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxAo8_JySkM), the son throws the ball like crap and just when you think the dad will show him the right way, he throws it in identical horrible fashion. I laughed and I’ll watch their next one because it’s going to make me smile. [Un-pimp](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv157ZIInUk) [Your](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCIF6JF1O5U) [Auto](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I0WfnhVs2s) [Pink Moon](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIOW9fLT9eY) [Big Day](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSEnzs8AocY) [The Force](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0) yeah I agree they usually do a very good job in their commercials. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/33 "2013-02-21T22:44:15Z")
Personally I think you have to look at it as an overall brand building campaign. I don’t think this ad is in and of itself expected or intended to sell cars. Volkswagen has set themselves up as the “cool” car to own. IMHO - They are appealing to those that are already considering buying a VW - they identify this ad as cool - see the ending - think VW is cool. There is the message of safety - and I’m sure that plays into it, but I think it is more of an excuse to solidify that with their “cool” image. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/34 "2013-02-21T22:44:30Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > My mind was busy figuring out “What’s the relationship here?” “Why the heck was the trunk full of junk?” “What does this white-boy have to do with rap music?” “Why were they driving each other’s car?” “Is the mom mad at her daughter? Why?” and the other 85 questions, all that registered was “OK, VW, cool” and I promptly forgot even that. You think too much or too little or something. Vary your thinking. Here was as nearly as I can manage it my thought process verbatim (with extra focus because I was expecting a Rubik’s Cube of a commmercial): It’s a lady with groceries. Ha, there’s no room in the trunk with the stereo in there. Ooh, the cart wrassler is confused. I probably would be too, if I were him as the juxtaposition of the car and the driver _is_ quite humorous. Oh she’s gone home and a young man and woman have arrived in a much more decorous sort of car, presumably back from some sort of date. They’re exchanging keys. I see, she’s a mother and she’s loaned her car to the duo and driven the young man’s car for her errands. But why? Ah, her car is a safer car and should there be an accident while driving, it is more likely the young ones will survive while she counts on both her maternal instinct to protect her young at risk to herself as well as the statistical likelihood that she is, on average, a safer driver than a young person, especially a young man, to keep herself safe. VW, you’ve done it again. I’m not saying you have to like the commercial or the car but lets not pretend it’s really all that obfuscating a commercial. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/35 "2013-02-21T22:56:35Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > A lot arise from a teen starter car that is rodded $10 at a time for a long, long time, resulting in a $4,000 car with $15k in mods worth, net, about $2,500. Another common feature of ricers: you can often pay Ferrari prices for all the work but you only pay Honda/Toyota insurance premiums. An agent would probably laugh in the face of any teenaged or early 20s driver who wanted to insure a top end sports car, not that most of the ricer crowd can even afford one anyway. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/36 "2013-02-21T23:03:05Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > You really don’t think white suburban boys listen to rap? > > Frankie Avalon hasn’t had a top 40 hit in over 50 years and boys don’t really listen to One Direction (unless trying to make their girlfriends happy). I’m a white boy, or I was one about a full generation ago, and I like “Ridin’ Dirty” (though I prefer “White and Nerdy” for the wit) but still there are white boys who like country, and heavy metal, and classical, and jazz and…you get the picture. It’s not a straight one to one connection: “suburban white kid= rap music fan.” It requires a little cogitation. ---
**Author:** ![doubleminus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5daacb/32.png) [@doubleminus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doubleminus)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/37 "2013-02-21T23:03:53Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > It was kind of stupid of mom to let the teenagers use her bigger car thus giving them more room to screw. 🙂 I thought the opposite. The mother gave them the car so they _could_ have more room to screw. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/38 "2013-02-21T23:24:21Z")
> [@FrankJBN](#): > > " I literally had no idea within a minute of seeing it which product it was for. By that standard, a very bad commercial. " > > Possibly, but luckily for all of those who did understand the ad, you are not the standard. As you note you feel “even dumber for having to have it explained to me.” > > If feeling “dumber” now, what is the step below? > > One last thing, you state you saw the “VW sponsorship”. Do you mean in the form of the shot of the shiny new car and the large print-over of the name of the company, the model and the starting price, and the smaller disclaimer at the lower part of the screen describing the model shown and the price with those options and the additional info that dealers set prices and that taxes and etc were additional and then the full screen VW logo and motto at the very end? > > I’ll just ask one question - why did you think a car and the price of that car was the featured at the end of the live action if not to advertise the car? You’re confusing two different posters, both of whom are smart enough to figure out the Quote button. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/39 "2013-02-21T23:26:52Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > fart can Do I even _want_ to know what that’s supposed to mean? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926/40 "2013-02-22T00:10:14Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > Do I even _want_ to know what that’s supposed to mean? Well, you could google it… Typically found on ricers and pretent-ricers, a fart can is a huge, oversized exhaust tip or resonator. Usually chrome. It takes the tinny, high-pitched whine of a sub 2-liter engine and makes it sound… like a world-record chipmunk fart. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-the-point-of-this-commercial/650926.md?page=3)