Fake VW Ad Flap: "Small But Tough"

{image source}

Wow. This is wild. Via adrants:

Volkswagen Plans Legal Action Against 'Suicide Bomber' Creators

More via Adland:

Volkswagen said last night it was outraged by the spoof
advert, which became the fifth most talked about item on internet
weblogs.

"Volkswagen UK and its agencies strenuously deny that they have any
involvement in the creation of a viral advertisement that has been
accessible through the internet depicting an explosion taking place
inside a Volkswagen Polo," the car maker said in a statement.

One explanation is that the film was created by a maverick advertising wannabe trying to get work from Volkswagen.

...the makers of the film revealed that some distinctively professional
techniques had been used: it had been shot on 35mm film, not something
an amateur would usually do, and cost �£40,000, not a sum an amateur
could afford.

"Lee", who refused to give his surname, apologised for the spoof
advert, which he said was released accidentally, but refused to say who
funded it.

"We made the advert for Volkswagen," said Lee. "We never really
intended it for public consumption. It was principally something we
made to show people in the industry but it got out somehow.

"About half the work we do is for our own purpose, it is
self-promotional. The ad's a comment on what's happening at the moment.
People see this on the news every day," said Lee.

And...

But
virals are also produced by creatives looking for work. A spokeswoman
for Volkswagen's advertising agency, DDB, later said that it had been
contacted by the duo who sent the viral to the agency.

Matt Smith, of the ad agency Viral Factory, said he thought the advert had been made as a "test" in order to get work.

"My suspicion is that it was made for a very small audience in order to
get work. It's such a risky piece - it wasn't meant to be seen by a
mass audience."

A spokesman for Volkswagen said the company was considering legal
action and blamed the advert on "two young creatives who are trying to
make a name for themselves".

"We don't take these sorts of risks with our advertisements. We regard ourselves as honest and respectable."

{view the clip here or here. download it here}

more info:

Museum of Hoaxes

SayAnything

Wizbang

NYPost