Crash dummies
Dr Mumbo congratulations Sydney digital agency Circul8 for its tasteful take on VW’s current problems
The agency posted an image on its Facebook page of a crashed VW as a spoof ad covering the car company’s current safety PR crisis.
It looks to Dr Mumbo, that the image has been lifted from a story about a crash which saw two children and two adult passengers of the VW Golf airlifted to hospital.
Because road accidents are always funny, right?
Curiously Circul8 has since deleted the image from its Facebook page, but happily Condescending Corporate Brand Page captured the moment.
Stay classy, Circul8.
This is awful. What the hell were they thinking?
….and they tried to defend it using the ‘We do a lot of work for charideee’ defence.
See comment from stream below.
Jamie Madden
Guys this is a parody of VW’s current Australian ad campaign. Yesterday they engaged a mass recall of their cars due to hundreds of reports them stalling, at speed, and potentially causing accidents. They have been criticised by some for not doing this earlier, when they clearly knew about the issue, having recalled the affected models in countries overseas. A class action suit has been taken up against VW with proportedly hundreds signing up. Read the news here >
http://www.abc.net.au/news/201.....ll/4747694 – circul8 specialises in the activism, not for profit and social media.
Agencies do this all the time?
Is that a pram wedged and crushed under the back of the car?
Yes. ‘Humour’…
“Move away please. No talent to be seen here.”
Pointless and indulgent …to achieve????
Just another example of wasted brain cells and piggy backing of others misfortune… cheap!!
was that Circul8 or masterb8
Certainly a little distasteful, however what about VW who tried very hard not to go to the aid of their customers and fix the problems that were known to them?
This agency (I guess) were trying to make a point and raise awareness of the problem, (which was faulty VW’s and of course the fact that VW were perceived to be trying to fob off their customers). A little brash though if this image is of an actual crash, however if the image is of a crash due to a faulty gearbox, then could we argue that it is ok…?
Looks like VW might well be footing a huge bill. Good on Fairfax for digging this one out of the ground – journalism lives on!
Don’t think we will be working for VW anytime soon ; )
Thanks for all the free press! We are the original independent social/viral agency after-all. Attention: Clients with strong social/environmental morals, we are taking briefs now!
Remind me not to use this agency or by a VW.
Absolutely appalling from both sides.
Jamie – you’re a goose.
You don’t expect your VW gearbox to go false nuetral, why would you expect an agency with a social conscience to?
I thought it was funny. Maybe they should pitch for KFC.
At this point I need to make a disclosure; I work for Circul8 and for that I make no apologies, I’m proud of ALL our work.
Unlike those working on account above, who can look forward to the feeling of their souls being wheeled out of their chests in tiny novelty shopping trollies, when they get the brief to protect the public from the truth of the matter and discourage owners of the affected vehicles from joining the class action.
The Australian advertising industry is a small place with a long memory.
Thanks for the reminder Terry, luckily being an independent agency means we will not have to compromise our morals to stay in it.
Keep beating that chest Jamie, it’ll serve you well. ish.