Truth in Advertising: DDB and VW Encourage the World to Think Small

It was the closing of the 1950s. A time when making a fashion statement with speed, style, and design were the top considerations for buying a car. It was also the perfect time for DDB and Volkswagen to utterly destroy the status quo.

It was the closing of the 1950s. A time when making a fashion statement with speed, style and design were the top considerations for buying a car. It was also the perfect time for DDB and Volkswagen to utterly destroy the status quo.

With their legendary “Think Small” campaign, DDB did the exact opposite of what every other car ad was doing: They were brutally, boldly and cleverly honest. The truth was that the Volkswagen Beetle was a small, slow and ugly foreign car. By admitting that, and explaining why those were good things, DDB turned the VW Bug into an iconic piece of American pride.

DDB did everything opposite. Their ads weren’t lifestyle ads. They were a dark spot in a sea of white. The cars weren’t fast. They were durable. Dependable. The ads effectively made the case for why owning a small, ugly car (in other words: thinking small) actually made you bold, and above all, smart.