Tuesday, October 28, 2008

From Blue Lagoon to Routan Boom

Am I the only person who finds the Routan Boom ad campaign, um, strange? It’s not really offensive or necessarily disturbing; it’s just odd. Maybe that’s Volkswagen’s diabolical, reverse psychology plan? It wouldn’t be quite so weird if they had not chosen Brooke Shields to be their spokesperson. That she agreed to appear and say the words in the ads seems out of character to me. See, when I think of her, first, of course, I think Blue Lagoon. Then, I think of the whole anti-depressant spat with Tom Cruise. This is a woman I admire for writing Down Came the Rain (I haven’t read it, but I’d like to, love the title, too). I love that she spoke up and said PPD is real and needs to be treated, in some cases with meds. I have been blessed to have okay postpartum experiences, but I also know that those first few months with a newborn can be very trying. I can see how PPD develops in some. So, back to the point, I find it surprising that this same Brooke Shields would sort of poke fun at becoming parents “just to get a VW Routan.” That she would say, “Have a baby for love, not out of a desire for German engineering” (or something like that). I have to admit every time I see one of the ads on television, I have this sort of uneasy feeling come over me. I question, is this really a good idea for Volkswagen?. Not that I own any stock in Volkswagen, but it just doesn’t feel right to me. IMO, they should be focusing on the great color choices they offer on their automobiles. I have to hand it to the German auto-makers, their car colors are tops (ooh, how I love that dark navy blue of a BMW or the silvery blue of a Mercedes). So, am I the only one?

5 comments:

Rebecca said...

I TOTALLY agree with you. I kept thinking that maybe I was missing something. I've always liked her but the commercial is just WEIRD.

Christy said...

No, you're not the only one. I have read Down Came the Rain and loved it - and it is always the first thing that comes to mind when I see or hear her on these commercials. So strange and not in a good way!

mel said...

The first time I saw this commerical I was completely flabbergasted. Brooke Shields was definitely a strange choice (not to mention that I couldn't believe she took the role) and yes, something about the commercial as a whole is just plain strange.

Shelley said...

I feel the same way for the same reasons. I don't care for those commercials!

Anna Whiston-Donaldson said...

When I saw this commercial I had a hard time picturing ad execs sitting around a table pitching this to ea. other. Too weird.