# Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive?



## B4A3WhatNext (Apr 14, 1999)

I don't watch much TV and didn't bother to watch the ads on Youtube, but I did catch a couple of VW Routan ads during the funeral that 'Bama held for UGA's national championship hopes. I was sort of offended for the people that were ostensibly the commercial's audience. Did anyone else get that impression?
Aside from me gagging on the whole "German engineering" thing on a rebadged Chrysler, it seemed to me that they were going out of their way to irritate the customer. It reminded me of that completely obnoxious redheaded dude hawking hemi engines a couple of years back. Is this effective advertising?
[I'm not in the market for a minivan, and if I were I'd rather buy a Chrysler product at a Chrysler dealer. But if VW is successful in this venture, more power to 'em.]


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## unimogken (Jan 19, 2005)

*Re: Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive? (B4A3WhatNext)*


_Quote, originally posted by *B4A3WhatNext* »_Aside from me gagging on the whole "German engineering" thing on a rebadged Chrysler

Um, isn't Daimler Chrysler German?
Oh and don't buy one then!


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## B4A3WhatNext (Apr 14, 1999)

*Re: Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive? (unimogken)*

The minivans were engineered in Auburn Hills by Chrysler employees, and to a certain extent by Chrysler component suppliers. Not a lot of German anything there. 
I guess I was the only one who thought the ads were out of line. I noted some other posts that thought it was hilarious. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.
I'm really trying (but perhaps not succeeding) to keep my disdain for the whole badge-engineered Chrysler concept to a minimum in my question. If you like it and think it's worth the price premium for a VW logo, enjoy your ride.


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## QUATTR0 (Dec 1, 2005)

*Re: Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive? (B4A3WhatNext)*

Nearly all the sheet metal and interior were designed by Klaus Bischoff's VW design team in Wolfsburg.
http://www.cardesignnews.com/s...05200/


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## AzBarber (Jun 2, 2003)

*Re: Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive? (QUATTR0)*


_Quote, originally posted by *QUATTR0* »_Nearly all the sheet metal and interior were designed by Klaus Bischoff's VW design team in Wolfsburg.


That's not engineering, that's interior decorating.
Az


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## JUSTINCASE1021 (Apr 27, 2004)

*Re: Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive? (AzBarber)*


_Quote, originally posted by *AzBarber* »_
That's not engineering, that's interior decorating.
Az

show me sheet metal on the inside


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## AzBarber (Jun 2, 2003)

*Re: Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive? (JUSTINCASE1021)*


_Quote, originally posted by *JUSTINCASE1021* »_
show me sheet metal on the inside










Okay, exterior decoration. Miss the point much?
Az


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## JUSTINCASE1021 (Apr 27, 2004)

*Re: Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive? (AzBarber)*


_Quote, originally posted by *AzBarber* »_








Okay, exterior decoration. Miss the point much?
Az

i forgot to put a







after my comment
I know what you meant


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## Jimbuffalo (Sep 1, 2005)

*Re: Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive? (B4A3WhatNext)*

Maybe one of the engineers was named Mueller


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## sirAQUAMAN64 (Oct 25, 2004)

*Re: Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive? (Jimbuffalo)*

Besides overusage of the phrase 'German engineering' I quite like the Brooke ads. Couldn't think of a creative way to market the Routan minivan, but they've managed to do it! Bravo.


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## i81b4u (Mar 13, 2002)

*Re: Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive? (sirAQUAMAN64)*

My fiance finds the Brooke Shields commercials funny, and I would assume she is smack dab in the middle of the audience VW hopes to attract to the Routan to begin with. Coincidentally, she refused my prior suggestions that we buy an old VW bus and restore it for a family car, but has taken her own interest in the Routan. Not bad strategy for a company that hasn't seen widespread interest in it's family hauler in quite some time.


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## 2000JettaGLXVR6 (Oct 17, 2002)

*Re: Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive? (i81b4u)*

It's a bad idea to only market this van to people with kids. There's a lot of other people a minivan appeals to, especially if it's a VW.


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## AZ_NaTiV (Jan 17, 2005)

*Re: Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive? (B4A3WhatNext)*

I'm now seeing ads that say "The only Minivan in America with German Engineering". What a crock.
<corrected>
"The only German minivan in America with Chrysler Engineering"


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## AzBarber (Jun 2, 2003)

*Re: Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive? (2000JettaGLXVR6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *2000JettaGLXVR6* »_It's a bad idea to only market this van to people with kids. There's a lot of other people a minivan appeals to, especially if it's a VW. 

VWoA is not well known for marketing vans well.
Az


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## EK20 (Sep 28, 2004)

When I first saw this commercial, I was over at my mom's for a visit.
I nearly died laughing when Brooke said "Don't be like Becky."
Which is funny because my mom's name is Becky.








Otherwise, it's a severely annoying commercial.


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## evilrobot0 (May 15, 2004)

*Re: (EK20)*

IDK; I started seeing the onslaught of Routan commercials two days ago; and I find them pretty offensive and sexist.
and; yeah - I LITERALLY spit out my coffe with the first one; because Brooke caught me mid-sip with the"German Engineering" crap.








I mean; best of luck with it. The more money that we can get to VWoA; maybe the better chance we have of getting the NICE cars here (and; WHY can't we have the Polo??? - I would KILL for a Polo GTI)
(DISCLAIMER: It's OK; I'm not going to buy one; in fact - despite being in the market for a car; my budget only allows me to be looking at private party purchases of vehicles about ten years old or older; and yes - I have a penchant for the older ones - as I currently own 3 MK2's; 1 MK1; and 2 MK3's







)


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## Rassig (Feb 4, 2001)

*Re: (EK20)*


_Quote, originally posted by *EK20* »_it's a severely annoying commercial.

*X ∞ ! * 
Not only is it annoying, it is indeed offensive...
to me and my s/o who is an adult nurse practitioner.
Without any coaching, she looked at me and said "what an idiotic commercial".
It's soooo bad, it practically embarrasses me to be a VW owner! 
This commercial to me is a prime example of the famous Seinfeld line...
_who's the marketing "genius" that came up with this one?"_




























http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif


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## EK20 (Sep 28, 2004)

*Re: (Rassig)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Rassig* »_Not only is it annoying, it is indeed offensive...
to me and my s/o who is an adult nurse practitioner.

I still can't see what's offensive about it.


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## [email protected] (Aug 23, 2007)

*Re: Brooke Shields Ad: Offensive? (B4A3WhatNext)*


_Quote, originally posted by *B4A3WhatNext* »_The minivans were engineered in Auburn Hills by Chrysler employees, and to a certain extent by Chrysler component suppliers. Not a lot of German anything there.

Volkswagen spent nearly 100 million $ developing a different suspension setup with ZF Sachs, a German company


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## Rassig (Feb 4, 2001)

*Re: (EK20)*


_Quote, originally posted by *EK20* »_I still can't see what's offensive about it.









Because it minimizes women... 
and does so in a way that's not even humorous.


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## EK20 (Sep 28, 2004)

*Re: (Rassig)*

It's a _commercial_. The world is getting too damn PC. Someone's always getting butthurt over _something_.


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## Rassig (Feb 4, 2001)

*Re: (EK20)*


_Quote, originally posted by *EK20* »_The world is getting too damn PC. 

I also agree that the world is getting too PC...
I know this professionally as well given that I work in HR. 
For example, I still struggle with the "African American" moniker since 
I would never refer to myself as a European American or a German American or a Caucasian. 
I am merely a white guy.
Furthermore, my sense of humor leans more towards acerbic or irreverent.
Perhaps I should modify my assessment of the commercial in this manner:
I think the commercial is not humorous or witty... or even silly.
It's just plain stupid. 
I would also think that a car commercial would be stupid if it openly claimed that men want to buy the car (or truck) because it will increase their testosterone level...
even though that's the implied message in some!


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## EK20 (Sep 28, 2004)

*Re: (Rassig)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Rassig* »_Perhaps I should modify my assessment of the commercial in this manner:
I think the commercial is not humorous or witty... or even silly.
It's just plain stupid. 
I would also think that a car commercial would be stupid if it openly claimed that men want to buy the car (or truck) because it will increase their testosterone level...
even though that's the implied message in some!









Agreed. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
I only laughed because my mom's name is Becky and that struck me as funny.


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