Let’s be absolutely clear, this wasn’t experts presenting a well thought out analysis of the car industry, it was self-righteous vigilantes treating the public’s intelligence with utter contempt.

To quote some of the Greenpeace rhetoric, “(Volkswagen)…are not as efficient as you might think. For every ‘greener’ vehicle VW sells, it shifts around 15 others which emit much more C02. Volkswagen adds a huge price mark-up for its greener vehicles – way above the cost of the technology – as it tries to cash in on your green conscience.”

Introducing the NEW Volkswagen up!

Anyone with an ounce of awareness will know that Volkswagen have been developing their new hyper-efficient city car for most of the past decade, it was first shown in 2007 as a rear-wheel-drive mid-engined concept and is intended to be built by at least three of the VW Group marques.

So it sounds like a pretty serious effort to reduce global CO2 emissions, given that most of VW’s customers live in cities.

It’s also designed from the outset as a new affordable small car range, although Volkswagen have not yet confirmed pricing of the up! It’s an entirely new design, offering maximum space on a minimal footprint (3.54 x 1.64 m) and will be launched in Europe in December.

There are three versions for different budgets and needs: take up! is the entry-level car, move up! the comfort-oriented model and high up! the top version. At the car’s market launch, there will also be two models based on the high up!: up! black and up! white.

Making its debut in the up! is a new generation of three-cylinder petrol engines, with outputs of 59 bhp and 74 bhp. Combined fuel consumption as a BlueMotion Technology version (including a Stop/Start system) is 67 mpg (59 bhp), and CO2 emissions for this version are less than 100 g/km. There are also plans for an up! with electric drive.

No doubt we could criticise VW for not making BlueMotion the standard across the range, but let’s remember VW are a commercial enterprise who ultimately can only survive by offering products which customers want to buy – they are giving customers a choice and no doubt will focus even more of their future development on BlueMotion technologies if buyers vote with their cheque books.

The same thing happened with large luxury cars – the availability of more fuel efficient 3-litre turbo diesel engines eventually made V12 and V8 models about as commonplace as the white rhino.

Efficiency without compromising safety

An important new safety technology in the up! is the optional City Emergency Braking system. It is automatically active at speeds under 18mph, and uses a laser sensor to detect the risk of an impending collision.

Depending on speed and situation, City Emergency Braking can reduce accident severity by initiating automatic brake interventions that can even avoid a crash. So far, the up! is the only vehicle in its segment to be offered with this function.

At 3.54 metres in length and 1.64 metres in width and 1.48 metres in height, the up! is one of the smallest four-seater cars. Its overall length consists of short body overhangs and a long wheelbase of 2.42 metres. Use of space in the car is exceptionally good, because of the wheelbase, which is one of the longest in the segment, combined with an engine that is mounted well forward on the front axle.

The 251-litre boot is also significantly larger than is typical in this class and when the rear seat is fully folded, cargo space is increased to 951 litres.

The most economical journey is also one that takes the most efficient route

For the first time in a Volkswagen, the maps + more system is now being offered, which is a mobile Personal Infotainment Device (PID). In the economically priced up!, this is an equally economical system that was developed to organise navigation, telephone, information and entertainment, and was designed in cooperation with Navigon, one of the world’s leading suppliers of navigation systems.

The user simply snaps the PID into place above the centre console. Unlike many other similar systems of this type, maps + more melds with the car’s network of systems more effectively: navigation, telephone and infotainment can be controlled and viewed via the maps + more touchscreen, which can also be used to view vehicle information, such as the display of the parking sensors (where fitted).

Apps specially developed for the up! also let users extend maps + more to meet their specific needs and therefore make it possible for buyers to take advantage of future traffic avoidance systems.

Volkswagen’s message to Greepeace

I suspect Volkswagen would be delighted to show Greenpeace their new efficient city car range, then perhaps the environmental lobbyists could turn their efforts towards encouraging people to buy this sub-100 g/km car and thereby help save fragile environments like the Arctic.

In fact I’m certain Volkswagen would welcome such support. Over to you Greenpeace..

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Firstly, there’s the brand spanking new Lotus Evora V6 IPS – the first two-pedal automatic Lotus since 1986, opening the evocative and beautiful Evora to a truly global audience, particularly in America and Asia. Technology has moved on tremendously in the 25 years since the last Lotus auto, and the clever IPS’ twin clutch, “shift by wire” system is one of the best we’ve ever tested – making the most of the 280PS, 350Nm 3.5-litre V6 engine and amazing Evora chassis.

Then there’s the surprising Mitsubishi Ralliart Colt – perhaps the best handling front-wheel-drive car on the market? Its turbocharged 1.5-litre engine – offering 147bhp and 155lb ft and 0-60mph in 7.4s and 131mph – is a hoot, and the Ralliart suspension tweaks make this quirky looking little car so much fun to drive. And it’s a bargain at £13,949.

Finally there’s the gorgeous, stylish, swift and economical VW VW Scirocco TDi – arguably the perfect daily driver? And not so shabby on track too, as we discovered at Cadwell Park.

We had fun, we hope you enjoy reading about it.

Since February the ads have attracted more than 40 million views online and over 100 million views during the US TV slots. The campaign was recently launched in the UK, making the timing of Greenpeace’s attack even more significant.

The Greenpeace ad urges viewers to “join the rebellion”, using a young cast of ‘Star Wars’ fans led by Obi-Wan Kenobi, who challenge VW’s mini Darth Vader and succeed in terminating the VW-branded “death star”. In Part 2 of the video the mini Darth Vader surrenders to Obi-Wan and his followers and then proceeds to join them in a victory ‘boogie’ followed by the obligatory Greenpeace banner which is hung over the VW death-star’s space-ports.

But what is the problem I hear you ask? Well, so far Greenpeace have succeeded in turning 6,968 jedi to join its rebellion, although it’s interesting to note that less than 1,400 people have viewed the videos on YouTube.

Here’s how Greenpeace describe the problem…

Rebel Manifesto

Our home—Earth—is in trouble. VW opposes key environmental laws we need if we’re going to stop our planet going the way of Alderaan (bye bye). But all is not lost. We feel the good in Volkswagen.

All of us in the Rebellion are calling on Volkswagen to turn away from the Dark Side and give our planet a chance.

To add insult to injury, Greenpeace names VW(Group) as Europe’s least green car maker in a 24-page report published this morning. The report accuses Volkswagen of exaggerating its green record and resisting attempts to make popular models such as the market-leading Golf more fuel efficient.

Greenpeace said, “The truth is that the Volkswagen Group has lagged behind its competitors for years. It only stepped up progress on CO2 reductions once a legal framework was put in place that forced it do so. It has shown no ability or willingness to voluntarily deliver the innovation or technology changes required. Now Volkswagen is openly opposed to the agreed 2020 standard that would benefit motorists, the economy and the environment.”

The Campaign

Greenpeace have put together a clever campaign which is built around a custom website containing the two videos, plus an achievements game which rewards participants with badges as they climb the ‘Star Wars’ ladder (from Baby Ewok through to Yoda), culminating in the ultimate prize of… a Greenpeace T-shirt. Way to go GP! (cue sacrastic whooping and hollering).

The troops have also been out in force this morning, and by troops I really mean troops – passers-by in London this morning have observed the rather unorthodox sight of Stormtroopers wearing VW badges encouraging people to “turn away from the dark side” (i.e. VW). The #vwdarkside hastag is not (yet) trending, but it surely will at some point later today, so if you’d like to oppose the campaign you can show your support with a Twibbon or tweeting your support for VW using the hastag #empiredrivesavw.

If you do however feel inclined to sign up and help Greenpeace turn VW away from the Dark Side, then visit vwdarkside.com to begin your Jedi Training.

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Since the debut of the first Golf GTI in 1976, the iconic model has enjoyed an uninterrupted history of success which now spans 35 years. During this time, the GTI has become a car with cult appeal as well as an independent brand and milestone GTI anniversaries have been celebrated with exclusive special models, and Volkswagen continues this tradition with the Edition 35.

In addition to the increase in power, the Edition 35 combines classic GTI design elements with features specially created for this latest anniversary model.

A revised front bumper is joined by lightweight 18-inch alloy wheels while, in the cabin, the golf ball gearknob makes a return. To mark out this special edition further, the ‘35’ signature appears on the front wings, sill plates, head restraints and on the centre panel of the seats.

This latest anniversary model will make its world debut at the legendary GTI event at Wörthersee in Austria at the beginning of June.

The Golf GTI Edition 35 will open for order in the UK later this year.

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Case in point, the latest campaign in the LR4 (Discovery) ‘Safe Inside’ series, which aims to show why Land Rover drivers experience a feeling of safety that drivers of other vehicles don’t. It’s entitled ‘Pathological Liar’ and the ad shows a guy who chooses to be in a Land Rover LR4 while confessing to his girlfriend that he’s not exactly who she thinks he is.

If you enjoyed that, they you’ll probably also find these pretty funny too.

Land Rover LR4 “Dirty Cops” | Land Rover USA

Sometimes even cops need protection. So when a dirty cop decides to come clean, he does so in one of the safest vehicles ever made. The Land Rover LR4.

And here’s my personal favourite.

Land Rover LR4 “Sword Collector”| Land Rover USA

How do you tell the office sword collector that he needs to get rid of his swords? Brilliant eh…?

First impressions count in this sector and my first impression is, “where do I sign?”, so the omens are good for the Concept A-Class if/when it reaches production late next year.

Design

Design is an important feature of a car whose purpose is described as “…ushering in a new compact class era at Mercedes-Benz.”

I remember driving the oddball A-Class back in ’97 when it was first launched, collecting the keys from the Sixt hire car desk at Geneva airport, then driving the 100km or so to a business conference I was there to attend. It was good to be behind the wheel of a Mercedes, especially one so innovative, but upon arrival at my hotel, the howls of laughter from colleagues took the shine off Mercedes new “Kinder Box”. This new A-Class looks like making a very different first impression.

A long bonnet, low silhouette and slim window areas of the Concept A-Class suggest concentrated dynamism, according to Mercedes. The car’s sporty appearance is further emphasised by the interplay between lines and surfaces – representing the wind and the waves – and was further inspired by aviation engineering both outside and in its interior design.

The design was first shown at last year’s Geveva Motor Show in the F 800 Style – a car which pointed the way towards a future CLS, and it’s good to see its design language applied to the compact class rather than just top-of-the-range models.

But isn’t this JUST another concept car?

Judging by the amount of development under the skin of the Concept A-Class, this is a model set for production and not just the bright lights of motor shows. Technical highlights include a new, turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine from the new M270 series, a new Mercedes-Benz dual clutch transmission and a radar-based collision warning system with adaptive Brake Assist.

The BlueEFFICIENCY unit was designed for transverse installation, and thanks to direct injection and turbocharging it offers high performance potential together with minimal emissions and fuel consumption. The Concept A-Class is equipped with a two-litre variant of the new engine, developing 207bhp, a strikingly familiar figure that positions it on a par with the Audi TT and VW Scirocco 2.0 GT.

As a world first in the compact class, the concept car features a radar-based collision warning system with adaptive Brake Assist, which lowers the risk of rear-end collisions. This assistance system, Collision Prevention Assist, gives a visual and acoustic warning to a possibly inattentive driver, and prepares Brake Assist for an absolutely precise braking response. This is initiated as soon as the driver emphatically operates the brake pedal.

Whilst the sporty Coupe profile of this Concept A-Class is an attention-grabber, expect to see a more versatile hatchback variant arriving first to replace today’s A-Class, but with (hopefully) the Coupe following shortly after.

The Concept A-Class will be on show at the Shanghai Auto Show between 21 – 28 April 2011, but Mercedes have not as yet confirmed if and when we might see it reach production.

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And the three cars we have featured in this first German special of ROAD certainly do…

First off there’s the gorgeous sleek lines and awesome performance of Audi’s mid-engined R8, in V8 and mega V10 form; on test on British Roads.

Next, we have a story based around the already legendary Porsche GT3, in Cup Car form – with BRDC Rising Star, Porsche Scholarship contender and ROAD friend, Leyton Clarke at the wheel… in his first ever Porsche race at Silverstone.

And finally, blasting around the Lakes, in the snow, up Kirkstone Pass, the fabulous 4WD Volkswagen Golf R. Enjoy it, yah?!

Social media is changing the marketing landscape. It’s changing politics, news and how we all consume entertainment for that matter as well. At the heart of this shift in thinking is the evolution from “push” or broadcast marketing to influence marketing – where a campaign is developed to interface with existing networks and take advantage of the social web.

While finding fault with how some brands have approached the social web is easy it’s not terribly useful, so I thought it would be more helpful to lift the lid on some of the more successful social media campaigns and why they worked.

How did we get here?

Conventional marketing has tended to be ‘brand centric’. The brand is placed on a pedestal, displayed in the best light and then promoted as loudly as possible to its target customers. Shock and awe, baby!

Often the brand message precedes the product reality, but that’s what brand marketing was for – blaze a trail and clear the way for those quarterback rainmakers. And it works too… or at least it ‘used’ to.

That was until the internet came along and people started using their social networks to validate what brands were saying, and when they disagreed they would broadcast their discontent – loudly. We soon learned that brand values were defined by customer’s own experiences and not by the rhetoric of PR teams.

Brands naturally began to fear these social networks and the contradictions they presented to the official tone. Rather than embrace this change, marketers sought to control their image further in the only way they knew how – louder and prouder media campaigns. ‘Push’ marketing rules – Yeah!

But in this battle of wills, there will only ever be one winner, and whilst brands continue to ignore the wishes of their customers, the gap becomes in some respects even wider.

Research conducted by Comscore in early 2009 showed that 84% of internet users chose to never click on a display advert, although it’s also been shown that 50-60% of users cite a display ad influencing their decision to click on a search result at a future time. This picture differs when we look at the Automotive sector, perhaps because of the more dynamic nature of the ads – In July 2009 we surveyed 2,500 users on Drivers Republic and found that 66% would never click on an ad – although this depended very much on the type of ad technique used (e.g. pop-up, text-link, video ad..).

When we asked users on drivers-republic.com why they choose to pay attention to an ad, the main reasons they gave were; relevance (50%), usefulness (36%), curiosity (32%), special offers (27%), entertainment (25%), and when informative (22%). Now these findings may sound like nectar to the web analytics and metrics companies (I should know, I used to run one), but these approaches are expensive and will become ever more so with the onset of privacy regulation.

Given the propensity for users using ad-blocking tools online, skipping ads on TV with TiVO, Sky+ and VOD services and the push-back by individuals (and Governments) to the privacy intrusion by large social networks, what’s the solution to improving user engagement and their subsequent response?

1. Ruthlessly eliminate operational silos

The future success of digital marketing will depend heavily on the integration of activities across a multi-channel landscape. Social media is more than just an online phenomenon – a successful campaign is likely to integrate web properties (microsites, social networking hubs) with more conventional offline elements (events, dealer promotions and test drives). Yet as customers increasingly expect to be treated the same through all channels, with continuity and knowledge of them as individuals, the teams involved in delivering these campaigns could not be further apart.

Multi-channel marketing means listening and responding in the ways your customer chooses to interact, but this places considerably more emphasis on the organisation and its agencies acting as one.

Social media has already become siloed with so-called social media consultants claiming the higher-ground, but perhaps it should be under the jurisdiction of PR teams, or maybe it plays more to the planning and delivery capabilities of the ad agencies? In reality it doesn’t belong in any single camp, the social web is merely a reflection of the change in the way people share, validate and make decisions in this digital age and therefore should extend across all departments and teams.

Most of the social media campaigns we see are inbalanced, depending on which stakeholder is pulling the strings. Sometimes it’s the creative which dominates the play – recently ComScore ARS published a report that stated “..the quality of the creative is four times more important than the characteristics of the media plan in generating sales.” In it’s research it found that 52% of any increase in market share could be attributed to the “quality” of the creative work concerned. But this is highly misleading – common sense would tell you that a great creative is useless without an effective media plan – they just can’t be considered seperately.

But more worringly from a social media perspective the effectiveness of a campaign depends on successfully connecting with an audience, this can often lead to the conclusion that a simpler, less glossy creative will be more easily absorbed, understood and thereby shared. Social media sharing is driven by what makes the individual look (and feel) good, not what’s best for the brand and campaigns which under spend on the interactive elements in favour of creative glory, do so at their peril.

2. Create heroes from your customers

People are naturally selfish, that should come as no surprise and their response to marketing usually reflects this. Advertisers already know that the response to a display campaign is directly linked to how clearly it benefits the viewer (e.g. “10% discount during the month of March”, or “buy now and we’ll throw in 12 months free insurance” ).

Whilst such direct response campaigns are relatively simple to plan, the same cannot be said of the multi-channel campaigns that characterise social media which encompass building awareness, aspiration, engagement and action.

The secret? Focus on the individual and build personal relationships with them directly. You need to build social campaigns in a way that actually ‘benefit’ the individual – making them look good, feel good or earn respect within their peer group. But first you need to understand their view of the world and what’s likely to intrigue them and lead them to take action.

A social media campaign turns the conventional rules of advertising and PR on its head – the brand becomes an enabler rather than centre of attention. This also implies a different mindset for engagement, involvement and listening.

Some early examples within the automotive sector include the recent Webby Award winning Porsche Panamera launch site which sought to build a Family Tree of Porsche owners to showcase its customers as the true legends behind the brand.

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  “There are as many Porsche legends as there are people who love the cars. And this is the place to see them all. Explore the family and its stories and add your own contribution to our written history.”

  More than 2600 Customers submitted their own stories and photographs, which were then turned into a digital book and downloadable as a PDF. Net result, the customer feels like a hero and Porsche earn major kudus and goodwill.

Another example worthy of note comes from BMW, with their JOY campaign. “JOY. From this word a company has been built that is totally independent and committed to just one thing – the driver. We don’t just build cars, we create emotions. We are guarantors of enthusiasm, fascination and goose bumps. We compose new forms of Joy for which there are no words to describe. We are sheer driving pleasure.”

3. Relationships are built between people who share something in common

What techniques do you use to socialise at a party? You know, the type of gathering where nobody knows you but perhaps some might have heard about you from their friends.

Do you stride in wearing your finest designer clothes, flash that Colgate smile and tell everyone how wonderful you are? Then for the pièce de résistance let them know that they can get close to you by visiting a special place (you’ve built) where they can admire you from?

Sound absurd? Well, why do so many brands behave in precisely this way when trying to engage using social media? If someone walked up to my circle of friends and behaved that way, they’d probably end up getting punched, so it’s hardly surprising that brands are still met with resistance (or ambivalence) when breaking into social circles.

The simple fact is that if you want your brand to be included in the social conversation then first you’ve got to be welcomed, and that will only occur when you participate with your customers on the same level.

4. Share the access but then own the destination

I cringe whenever I hear of yet another brand proudly proclaiming ‘their’ new Facebook page. Having spent a career reinforcing the importance of owning your own customer data, it’s disappointing to see so many brands still using Twitter, Facebook or YouTube as a destination rather than the route to a point of conversion.

The value of these major social channels lies in the breadth and connectivity of them as ‘networks’ but unless this network then channels positive intent to the right destination they’re of little practical value beyond that of a communication tool.

At least some of the latest platforms such as Foursquare intrinsically merge online with offline conversion, as shown by recent collaborations with Starbucks and Domino’s.

Sometimes social networks can become a bit of a PR scrum, with rivals endlessly bragging about their number of followers (or pleading for more followers to reach some arbitrary milestone), but the real value of a social audience is in their willingness to ‘do something’ of value for the brand.

5. Create a story rather than merely an impact

With the increasing pressure to demonstrate a short-term ROI from digital spend it’s not surprising that some social campaigns are focused on achieving an impact within the timeline of a current engagement. But the route from prospect to customer, or cynic to advocate can sometimes be a long one and far from linear.

Social media campaigns are more effective when they follow a customer’s voyage of discovery and influence it at appropriate touch points. Every brand has a story to tell and customers engage more strongly with stories about people, rather than those perfectly polished messages often used to introduce a product. This is perfectly illustrated in the Porsche Panamera case above and the BMW Unscripted series of films. Interweaving these customer stories with your own is a great way of camouflaging the corporate scent of a campaign.

Another good example of this was last year’s GTI Project which involved an online driving game, rivalries between driving leagues and many worthwhile prizes that added value to participants of the competition. And those all important customer stories were popping up unsolicited all over the social web.

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  Games are universally popular methods of engagement within a social media environment, as Zynga the company behind the irritatingly popular game “Farmville” would attest.

If we judged a social campaign by how many words were written about it by those taking part, then this was probably one of the most successful campaigns of 2009. It was also ‘fun’ for all involved which the ‘Golf GTI’ brand enabled. Top marks.

Can you teach an old dog new tricks?

Many so-called social campaigns still invest too much of their budget on the creative elements (i.e. the sexy bits), rather than the relationships that will provide enduring value long after the campaign has ended.

VW's campaign, 'The People's Reviewer', searched for a real consumer who could give honest reviews and thoughts on Volkswagen's small compact 4x4 the Tiguan. 3 finalists were given the opportunity to test drive and review the Tiguan on a professionally shoot, with the eventual winner driving away in a brand spankin' new Tiguan.

We already know from behavioural studies that relationships are formed through common beliefs, a shared identity or purpose and yet when a brand tries to market the dynamic qualities of its new model (such as with Audi’s A1) it’s more likely to demonstrate this through an adrenaline fuelled promotion rather than directly ‘involving’ the people who will ultimately judge and broadcast the truth.

Are traditional advertising and PR agencies not long for this world? Many of them would argue that they’re in the best position to optimise their client’s brands in this digital world, however I know from my own experience that you can only be as innovative as your clients allow and most large corporate brands are at their most risk averse when approaching the unfamiliar waters of social and digital marketing.

Hopefully this post can stimulate some new ideas and encourage those who are on the cusp of taking a few risks to step outside their comfort zone.

We also proudly announce our tie-in with the exciting Global Tuner GP event, in California, at Laguna Seca.

The video, created by VW to promote the new Jetta in the US and Canada, has been widely criticised for encouraging dangerous driving at high speeds. The advert, which features a young couple who are “conservative drivers” on a test drive in the Jetta, spot a gap between two lorries and proceed to “shoot the gap” by accelerating between them in what is widely regarded to be a dangerous manoeuvre by road safety activists.

The advert has been accused of promoting reckless driving - 'shooting the gap' involves driving between two trucks at speed before the distance between them narrows. Did VW really believe this would help sell more cars?

Volkswagen clearly considered the scenario an amusing one but have found themselves wrong-footed by the widespread negative sentiment of those that have viewed the advert.

Much of the discussion has been channelled via Twitter (see adjacent graphic) or on video sharing sites such as YouTube and SkiddPlayer, with social media reaction peaking just before Volkswagen removed the video from YouTube.

Twitter conversations dominated the reaction to VW’s controversial video, once again proving how carefully a brand needs to cultivate its reputation within social media channels. Data provided via:uberVU

On the thetruckersreport.com, a blog and forum for truck drivers and the trucking industry, the advert has clearly struck a nerve:

“Cutting off trucks in this way can lead to death, but VW thinks its a great idea to make it seem ‘cool’. So when you crush that stupid 18 year old in the jetta copying this manoeuvre, thank VW kids.”

Also on a similar website, www.truckdriversnews.com – “As a professional truck driver with many years of driving experience I know this is just a marketing sham; to get people to buy their high powered car. Even though they run the little fine print that says Caution this is a closed course and a professional driver always respect safe driving and the laws; or something to that effect. “Shooting the Gap” as portrayed in this TV ad is a very dangerous ‘stunt’ to do. Cutting off another vehicle in order to drive between two tractor and trailers is plain out stupid. Truck drivers have limited visibility even though they sit up high. Passing a truck on the right-hand-side is a very dangerous move and should not be done – ever.”

There’s even a Facebook page started up by Land Line Magazine, a trade publication for the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association, called “Shut down the ‘Shoot the Gap’ commercial for VW Jetta LE.”

Quite why Volkswagen felt they should be marketing a mid-size family saloon with few sporting credentials, as a driving tool designed for high speed overtaking manoeuvres is an interesting question. With the car aimed at young couples, and with previous reports on the Jetta emphasising build quality and economy, VW may have missed a trick by not focussing the advert on these qualities plus its value and European prestige over American rivals.

VW are left with a bitter pill to swallow as the time and money invested in developing the Jetta’s brand in America has now been undermined by a simple 30 second advertisement.

They must now address the unrest amongst their detractors, with calls being made for an official apology. VW would also be well advised to go one step further, and welcome interaction with their critics on social networking sites, notably Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, where many of the negative comments were originally posted. This would also give them the opportunity to demonstrate openness and honesty in a public forum, and earn back some of the trust they had previously established within their conservative customer base.

Skiddmark gave Jill Bratina, Volkswagen of America’s Vice President of Corporate Communications the opportunity to respond to the negative criticism on SkiddPlayer, however the response we received was a silent one followed by the TV spot being immediately removed from YouTube.

This action is again, counterproductive to resolving issues between a car maker and its audience in such a situation, since the advert has been seen and downloaded by the public thousands of times, making it impossible for VW to control the viral spread of its ‘Shoot the Gap’ video, nor the inevitable parody take-offs that are sure to follow.

Moreover, whilst we appreciate that releasing an official statement in response to public criticism takes time, you would hope that a company with the reputation of Volkswagen would be quick to put road-safety campaigner minds at rest by announcing their intentions for the TV spot, and reinforcing their corporate stance of safe driving at all times.

For those of you who missed its original airing on YouTube, the video is still available to view over on our social community, SkiddNet.