In the 1950’s the word “Lemon” not only meant a fruit, but was also used to describe a car that was no good; a car that had some sort of problem with it whether it was a car part or the car interior. Volkswagen was quite brave to publish an ad that referred to the Beetle as a “Lemon”. People wondered why an auto company would create such an ad. Volkswagen wanted the consumer to trust the company and its cars. They were very creative because the ad was worded in such a way that it let consumers know that their inspection team would not allow any sort of “Lemons” to be released. '“Lemon” pushed the boundaries further, specifically calling out problems with a specific car to highlight the company’s strict standards”(hagerty.com). Volkswagen was very strict about producing their products and wanted to make sure the quality was the best it could be. Volkswagen also wanted their ads to be simple, honest, and trustworthy. “The VW Beetle is an honest car. Everything about it had to be honest, transparent and straightforward – the product, the pricing, the dealers and even the advertising” (brandstories.net). Volkswagen saw this as a way to connect with customers and make their sales increase. “Beetle ads, though, connected with consumers on an emotional level, while conveying a product benefit in way consumers could relate to. Plus, the ads were breathtakingly simple” (bizjournals.com). The Lemon ad made the consumer feel like the company was honest and had a product that an everyday person could use and trust. Volkswagen achieved its goal and its advertising strategy with the “Lemon” ad proved to be very beneficial because they increased sales of its new cars and the value of its used cars did not diminish. Due to this, they continued to make ads that were simple and unexpected in hopes of keeping their consumers interest.
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