New VW Golf – The Fight
7 January 2009 by SilkyThis is the advert for the new Volkswagon Golf that has generated over 100 complaints to the ASA.
Aparently the “ad is offensive because the depiction of violence is excessive, inappropriate to be seen by children, should not be shown before the 9pm watershed and may encourage emulation”.
And presumably the risk of being influenced by this “fight each other Matrix-style” encouragement is even higher for identical twins. Why does no one ever think about the identical twins?
Some of you might think this complaint is completely ridiculous. But I’m so worried about the effect it might have on my child that I made him wear a blind fold during the advert breaks inbetween us watching Hamas and the Israelis bomb the shit out of each other in our 72 hour Sky News marathon.
Anyway, back to the more important things in life…
VW make consistently great adverts for the Golf - and I think that this new one is no exception – even if the same can’t be said for the car itself.
Once it was a car to argue over as part of your divorce settlement – “You’ll get the house and the kids but let me keep the Golf.” “No. You’ll get the house…” etc. But now the Golf is such a boring car, you’re more likely to argue over the half-used tin of magnolia paint in the shed – yeah, even though it’s got a really thick skin on the top because it’s been left open to the air – then over who gets the car.
So maybe sometimes the only one you have to beat is yourself, but sometimes you lose.
Just How Bad is this Ad?
(65 votes, average: 2.95 out of 5)
31Responses:
Simon Breadbin
Said on the 9 January 2009
I agree that most Golf adverts are pretty good, but this one is cack. It’s no different to an average episode of Power Rangers; nothing, followed immediately by carefully choreographed, inexplicable fighting set to tossy music (in this instance featuring some guy counting to four in a vaguely Kraftwerk-esque way, because foreign words are cool, right kids?).
Wank.
Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells
Said on the 11 January 2009
As a VW owner I am quite frankly appalled by this VW TV advert? which depicts totally pointless violence and in my opinion marks a really sad end to VW’s previously clever and thoughtful advertising, that has a rich and venerable history across different media. Guess this was created by some dumb agency who somehow convinced their client that this would be a great advert for a young target market…It’s absolutely despicable and should be banned, but maybe VW should just be giving out a Reservoir Dogs DVD with every VW purchased….that film makes much more sense…
frankie smales
Said on the 11 January 2009
well it was one advert to far and it was
totally unacceptable behavior to show
an advert of bad taste to air on tv
so early in the evening and i saw
it on the brittish scifi channel and
i did not found it cleaver or funny
and it should being aired late at night
not before and the manufactor vw
should admit it was wrong to make
it in the first place ok.
frankie smales
(frankie smales movie and tv review uk)
devolute
Said on the 12 January 2009
I think it’s a good advert. Not to the usual standard, but still.
That said; I think it’s a little insensitive, knowing the dangers that VW staff face from kung-fu clones on a daily basis.
Ian
Said on the 13 January 2009
I like it, I especially like the music by Jean Scene.
frankie smales
Said on the 14 January 2009
firstly i would like to apologise to those fans of the advert
that i have offended in my last statement and no it has not
being pulled of the air because i saw it on tv the other night
and it is the right time to have it on and i quite like it now and
who is the actor who did the kung fu in the advert and what
great choreography went into this advert and please don’t ban
this advert because it is great and i love it 20/10.
frankie smales
(frankie smales movie and tv review uk)
Shirley
Said on the 17 January 2009
A terrible advert which makes no sense and does nothing for the brand
Derek Ayling
Said on the 18 January 2009
What was the name of the soundtrack to the VW ad where a woman who is getting divorced jumps into her VW and drives off?
Cyrus
Said on the 18 January 2009
I think the song you’re after might be Changes by Alan Price
HTH
Shirley
Said on the 18 January 2009
The tune was the same as What A Friend We Have in Jesus.
peter
Said on the 19 January 2009
The last thing I would do after watching the add is buy a VW golf…..
jim
Said on the 20 January 2009
What ? The very last thing ?
Shaz
Said on the 22 January 2009
Firstly, an advert is an advert, secondly it makes me laugh how parents can’t distinguished the difference of right and wrong to their children, sooner or later they will grow older and see violence on the news, TV or maybe in cartoons.
and third, the advert is shown after 9PM….. Shouldn’t children be in bed for School??
Great advert keep it running!!
DrPerm
Said on the 22 January 2009
Get a grip. There’s nothing wrong with the advert. It makes sense and is just fine.
ncl1994
Said on the 25 January 2009
Ha, I don’t think it’s paticularly violent. I mean, people must have been pretty bored to waste time complaining. I know I was bored until I found this page lol. Although everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But I think that this is incredibly German and pazzazy.
Viper
Said on the 25 January 2009
I don’t know what you are all on about this advert is fantastic as a fully qualified psychologist it is a fantastic demonstration of life and fighting against yourself. Did you people not see the suicide bomber VW advert from a few years ago? Now that was offensive. Check you tube!
Viper
Said on the 25 January 2009
I don’t know what you are all on about this advert is fantastic as a fully qualified psychologist it is a fantastic demonstration of life and fighting against yourself. Did you people not see the suicide bomber VW advert from a few years ago? Now that was offensive. Check youtube!
Jo
Said on the 25 January 2009
I agree with Viper this advert is excellent and if parents cant identify fantasy with reality to their children then they should not be allowed to have children!
frankie smales
Said on the 27 January 2009
hi jo
i allso aggree with you and has these ad complainers
heared of an wonderfull invention called the tv remote
instead of complaining they should turn it over to an channel
that do not have adverts at all and if these people follow this
example then this world will be a great place to be in.
frankie smales
(tv advert fan)
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 27 January 2009
I like this ad… personally I don’t think it is especially violent, (let’s face it Tom and Jerry were more violent) and the music is ok, but there you go….. (Still won’t buy a Golf, I ain’t having no car built by German Clones)
polar bear
Said on the 28 January 2009
What’s the music called on this ad?
Please help
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 28 January 2009
Keine Melodien – Jeans Team & MJ Lan
Let it not be said that the Jellyfish is not generous…..
V. Masters
Said on the 4 February 2009
Thinking about exchanging my VW Golf for a new model – my sixth VW Golf – but not after watching the new outrageous advertisement. How it passed the criteria for “is this a suitable ad for all ages” – bearing in mind its for a motor car – and in any event is it really necessary to resort to violence to advertise a product – which sells itself ! In reply to those who comment about using the remote control to switch over or off – that is exactly what we do now – but the first time we saw it – we had no idea until the end that it was advertising a car. We thought it was for just another violent programme!
ajg
Said on the 6 February 2009
Oh wakey wakey folks……great to see how cool martial arts is – finally! …this is all make believe! – what are you going to do at christmas when your kids want the latest psp/xbox/ps3 games – watershed?….. you are going to be absolutely stuffed for choice….near enough all the games my boys want have some level of violence …. unless of course you buy kung-fu-panda (still violent) or mama cooking (yawn!). If you bring your kids up right – they should know reality from fiction……wrong from right! At the end of the day….they are either going to see fictional violence at their mates….or buy it soon as they are old enough! – Mum of four boys with their heads (currently) screwed on the right way! THUMBS UP – GREAT ADVERT (Oh…you lot……loved Matrix)
Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells
Said on the 7 February 2009
The point is this…I know there are a zillion violent movies and games and blokes like fighting etc and agreed the violence in this ad is totally make believe and funny etc etc and we can switch it over etc…BUT let’s imagine a scenario where every advertisement depicted fantasy violence like this. So Asda ads show all their staff smacking their bottoms even harder than do now, Specsavers ads have their staff hitting their customers if they don’t chose glasses that suit them…parents swipe their kids if they don’t eat their lovely Kelloggs and the TV licence people smash up your TV if you don’t pay your licence fee…and imagine if all these adverts play one after another. Would that be so funny? Maybe this is just the only kind of advertising that can make people spend their money in the midst of a recession? Perhaps those brainy VW engineers are about to launch all out war on all of us? Heh…I am really looking forward to that feature film…
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 7 February 2009
Hmmm… So you are saying that if ASDA start having a bit of light S&M you won’t be in there?
As a kid if I didn’t eat my meal (be it Cornflakes or Sunday luch) I would get a clip round the ear, and It made a better person of me, I don’t waste things like todays children.
And If you don’t pay your car tax, they crush your car, so why not your TV?
And who goes in specsavers anyway? they are only interested in selling glasses to people wether they need them or not…
frankie smales
Said on the 1 March 2009
for your info about the song used in
the advert i can give it to you now
here it is
song title.
keine melodien
artist .
the jeans team
music avialablity.
youtube or itunes
thats all the info that you need to know about the song in the advert ok.
frankie smales
(retro tv advert fan)
Wetdog
Said on the 1 March 2009
Pump up the jam.
Gary Kelly
Said on the 12 March 2009
shut up, all of you, especially you with the identical twins
Andy
Said on the 21 March 2009
OK, does anyone know the name of the actor in this?
I’m convinced I’ve seen him in films and shot his pixelated face off in the video game version of said movie.
Stephen
Said on the 3 April 2009
I absolutely, positively CANNOT believe that some ass loving hippies have actually got off their stoned-trodden asses to complain about something as ingenious as that VW advert >:-(!!!!!!!!
I mean, the idea that the only competition….is yourself was portrayed so bloody well in that commercial, for someone to get annoyed and say it was UNSUITABLE for CHILDREN! Is beyond me, kids don’t like it?? Don’t let them watch it then, Jesus Christ when will this country make the ADULTS start actually LOOKING AFTER their own kids?! Instead of blaming EVERYONE ELSE instead?!
PC-ness gets me so annoyed these days……..
Got Something to Add?