Volkswagen overhauls marketing as it ditches ‘Das Auto’ slogan
Volkswagen is to drop its infamous marketing slogan ‘Das Auto’ as part of a wider move to refresh its brand and rebuild its image following the emissions scandal.
By Sarah Vizard
Volkswagen will drop ‘Das Auto’ from all forthcoming advertising campaigns, according to a Reuters report. It will no longer appear underneath the Volkswagen logo, with the word ‘Volkswagen’ appearing instead, according to the report.
“Wherever our logo appears in future, it will be backed by the new brand slogan ‘Volkswagen’. The slogan will be rolled out in stages across the world,” says a spokesman.
Volkswagen has used the slogan since 2007. It was the signed off by former CEO Martin Winterkorn, who was forced to stand down after revelations that Volkswagen was duping emissions tests.
New boss Matthias Müller is understood to want its advertising to reflect a more humble Volkswagen. The company faces millions of dollars in possible fines and spiralling costs to fix the up to 11 million cars fitted with the rogue software.
Its brand has already taken a huge hit. The latest YouGov BrandIndex figures show that its Index score – a measure of a range of metrics including quality, value and reputation – has fallen by a significantly significant 24.9 points over the past six months. It has dropped from first to 30th position in a list of 35 car brands.
Volkswagen pulled all marketing globally following the revelation as it went into crisis management. However, the car marque has started trying to repair the damage in the UK at least. It ran print ads apologising for the scandal and attempting to reassure customers.
It is understood that a global marketing campaign is in the works.
