In our current day society, brand image is important. Companies want to put their best foot forward and cater to what is currently trending in the socioeconomic world. The current wave of advertising and consumerism is companies taking a step in the ecofriendly direction. However, this must be done carefully, or else companies could find themselves in a poor position with the public. All it takes is a singular person to find the crack in a company and send them toppling to the ground. A company that found itself the subject of scrutiny is Volkswagen.
An ad campaign by the company introduced the public to their new clean diesel initiative. Various ads were produced, the one above shows a singular model of the car they sell. Everything about the ad screams “clean”, from the colours they chose, the font, and even the setting in which the ad takes place. The car featured is white, which is often a colour associated with cleanliness. The car is centred underneath text that is printed in a simple white font, once again putting heavy emphasis on the “clean” idea they are trying to sell. The text does not take up the whole ad, and due to it being centred on the image it is something that immediately catches the eye of a viewer. It isn’t overrun by words either, just a simple statement alongside their name. With the ad appearing to be set in the evening the dark colours of the background allow the text and the car to pop, there is a contrast between the bright and dark colours. The simplicity and cohesion of the ad all play a part in the overall message being delivered to customers.
I believe the ad was targeted at two different groups. Group one is those who at the time, their current hyperfixation would have been to be as eco-friendly in all aspects of their lives. I also believe they were targeting gas-operated car owners and trying to persuade them to switch to diesel. Diesel is often linked to trucks, so by promoting a line of clean diesel vehicles Volkswagen was suggesting an alternative to not just your regular car, but recruiting people who otherwise would have not associated them with diesel. This ad projects the idea of a healthy lifestyle and gives viewers the impression that they would be doing their part to help the environment. I believe the ad would have done well, and probably generated good buzz, had the company not been exposed.
In 2015 it was announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that Volkswagen had been producing vehicles that went against the emission standards. Diesel vehicles from 2009-2015 were the ones being looked at. It was revealed that the company was using software designed to help their cars pass tests diesel cars are subject to. Volkswagen initially dealt with this incredibly poorly by having their staff follow a script in a meeting with CARB (California Air Resources Board) in late August of 2015. This meeting would decide the fate of the company and would determine if they would be given approval to continue to sell the 2016 model of their diesel vehicles. At this meeting, a staff member strayed from the script and revealed the software Volkswagen was using to manipulate tests performed on their cars. This resulted in a meeting held in early September of the same year where the company finally came clean about its actions. Almost a year later in October of 2016 Volkswagen and U.S courts settled on an agreement that ended in the company owing 15 million U.S dollars in compensation to U.S customers affected by the scandal.
In 1986 Jay Westerveld coined the term “greenwashing”. It essentially refers to putting on an environmentally friendly facade. In 1999 it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary. This term fits perfectly for the actions committed by Volkswagen. Their ad was consumer propaganda designed to paint themselves in a better light.
Volkswagen is a brand I am familiar with, I have friends who drive their cars and often see their ads on TV or out in public. They are still a very popular car brand and appear to have walked away from their scandal damaged, but not to the point of no return. I believe that there is a lot of learning to be done from their scandal. Other companies should recognize the many mistakes, as well as poor efforts to resolve said mistakes and aim to better themselves.
Bibliography
Che, Xiaogang, Hajime Katayama, and Peter Lee. “Product-Harm Crises and Spillover Effects: A Case Study of the Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Scandal in EBay Used Car Auction Markets.” Journal of Marketing Research 60, no. 2 (April 2023), 1-2.
https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.tru.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ecn&AN=2051727&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Che, Xiaogang, Hajime Katayama, and Peter Lee, 2.
John C. Cruden; Bethany Engel; Nigel Cooney; Joshua Van Eaton, “Dieselgate: How the Investigation, Prosecution, and Settlement of Volkswagen’s Emissions Cheating Scandal Illustrates the Need for Robust Environmental Enforcement,” Virginia Environmental Law Journal 36, no. 2 (2018), 124.
John C. Cruden; Bethany Engel; Nigel Cooney; Joshua Van Eaton, 125.
Strittmatter, Anthony, and Michael Lechner. “Sorting on the Used-Car Market After the Volkswagen Emission Scandal,” 2019. doi:10.1016/j.jeem.2020.102305.
Myers, Alice. “Greenwashing.” Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2023. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89474221&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Libby Meldrum
Leah effectively describes and critically analyzes Volkswagen’s advertisement promoting its clean diesel initiative. She highlights how the ad strategically presents the company’s efforts towards eco-friendliness through its use of imagery, colour choices, and messaging. Her analysis delves into the target audience (environmentally conscious consumers and those considering a switch to diesel vehicles) and the persuasive tactics used. Leah connects the advertisement’s message with Volkswagen’s subsequent scandal involving emissions standards violations, demonstrating a very clear understanding of greenwashing and its consequences.
The main points summarized include the ad’s visual elements emphasizing cleanliness and eco-friendliness, its targeted audience, and Volkswagen’s attempt to project a positive image despite its unethical practices being revealed. Leah also effectively supports her analysis with a reference to Westerveld’s concept of “greenwashing”, providing scholarly context to her critique.
To further improve the critique, I suggest elaborating on the specific greenwashing tactics used in the advertisement, such as exaggerating environmental benefits or misleading claims about emissions. Lastly, I noticed one small problem in the bibliography. Once the citations are finished, make sure that they are in alphabetical order. Overall, Leah demonstrates a strong understanding of greenwashing and effectively applies that to her critique of Volkswagen’s advertisement, offering valuable insights on sustainability messaging and ethical considerations in advertisements.
Great job, Leah!