Car Advertising: Volkswagen and Greenpeace get Smart

The Brits often assume that the Germans have no sense of humour. Similarly, sustainability advertising is supposed to be rather stern emphasising some kind of benefit, which is "good for you and the environment". The following series of television and print advertising seem to prove both clichés wrong. It is a play in four acts with three main actors: The automobile companies Smart and Volkswagen, and the environmental organization Greenpeace.
The first act took place in 2008, when Smart threw down the gauntlet to Greenpeace and Volkswagen: Have you ever thought about the fuel-efficiency of Greenpeace zodiacs, when the activists protest against whale fishing boats? Did you notice the gas-guzzling trucks, when Greenpeace marches against nuclear energy? Or did you know that 'hippie' vans by Volkswagen guzzle 13 litres of gasoline per 100 km? No? Neither did we. But Smart did, as you can see in the following television commercial:



In the second act Volkswagen takes up the gauntlet: It launches print ads in German newspapers and magazines comparing the fuel efficiency of the Volkswagen van versus the smart (in litres per person). On the left bottom of the print it says: "And Sex is better in there as well. The transporter thanks you for the nice commercial"
















Touché! That hit home. But Smart accepts the challenge. The 'Smart' advertisers are quick to reply in the third act of the play. This Smart ad uses the original Volkswagen ad but adds: "Size does not matter, but technique! The Smart ForTwo thanks you for the nice print ad"
















In the fourth and last act Greenpeace comes into play and strikes back! In the anti-advertising video the environmentalists remind the subsidiary Smart that its multinational automotive parent company Mercedes sells 31 sport utility vehicles (using 11.2 litres per 100 km and emitting 279 g CO2 per km) for every Smart ForTwo diesel:



So, do the Germans really have no sense of humour? And does sustainability advertising always have to be boring? We think not!