For most of our lives, or at least the portion that we've known about Brooke Shields, we've found ourselves in what we assume to be a minority: We didn't like her. The Calvin Klein ads, that naked-on-an-island movie, Suddenly Susan. She kind of pissed us off with all that. Then came Lipstick Jungle, and we repented for our sins, finding the version of Ms. Shields that we can actually adore. And now, a new reason to pine for her cheekbones: Her very fat deal with Volkswagon.
Shields is starring in a new series of TV spots to push VW's latest offering, the Routan minivan. And they've gone the very clever route! Funny ads in a time of declining car sales and a recession. This we love! The premise: Shields accuses parents of having children just so they can get away with buying a new Routan, or "to put German engineering in your driveway." Shields counts off the ridiculous lengths Americans are going to: With IVF, adoption, and "even reverse visectomies, more and more people are having babies simply for the love of German engineering." They're calling it the "Routan Baby Boom." We call it: Advertising Love.
So what's Brooke Shields trying to do here? Convince America that, through German engineering and marketing pinache, minivans can be cool again. It's an uphill battle, given the Plymouth Voyager, Honda Odyssey, and even Chrysler's upscale Town & Country.
And while we aren't walking away from these spots actually believing Shields' sales pitch, we aren't the target audience. Rather, young suburbanites who aren't ready to sacrifice "hip" for parenthood are the demo Shields is going after. And quite plausibly, this could work. Minivans serve a decent service for burgeoning families: Lots of passenger space, decent gas mileage, and plenty of trunk space for soccer balls and softball bats. And if trendy parents can explain away their car buying decision to critical friends — "I know it's a minivan, but Brooke Shields was just so darn clever!" — maybe they'll actually visit a VW dealership for a test drive.
Herewith, two more spots.
You Jossipers are hilarious with your made-up spellings: if your dad had had a vasectomy, maybe you wouldn't be here making up words like "visectomy." And tell your cohort who keeps writing about "Sirnames" that his dad should have left his surname at the door.
Why does Brooke have to advertise for a foreign vehicle? She should be supporting the U.S.
These commercials are good satire. The only problem is that Germans did this for real in WWII.
Goebbels and others had babies for the Fatherland in the name of ethnic purity. Interesting that VW (Hitler and Porche's idea) and Chrysler (Daimler made the gas ovens) are the brand owners for this vehicle.
Once you remember your history, it takes the edge off these commercials, uber alles.
you really think these are funny and clever? i think they're absolutely horrendous (and not JUST for the nazi connection). frankly, they're just not funny. at all. not even a little bit. i turn the channel every single time they come on.
Brooke, shame on you. I find your commercial more offensive than words can convey. As for Volkswagon, "Natzi Germany is alive and well". I would never buy your product!