VW - Star Wars Spots

i haven't blogged in a long time, and that's totally my fault. obviously. however, i'm ready to start blogging again - so please get excited.

i know the super bowl was a few weeks ago, and basically, everyone has exhausted all commentary available for the commercials. but, i'm going to add my two cents to one spot in particular: the VW spot, brought to us by ad agency Deutsch LA.

last year, the best commercial hands down was "the force," and can be viewed here if you don't remember it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0

it touched quite a chord with everyone, including myself. the magic of the spot, to me, is the cuteness of it. "cute," i know, sounds very contrived, like i'm patting someone on the head. it reminded me of my childhood, of being impressionable and playful. for the adults, there was a knowing wink at the end, with the raised eyebrow from the dad. it's something my dad would have done. it just touched that moment in all of us, to escape. and that's something many commercials don't do - they are so focused on the sell - rather than giving people a reason to engage. i can't tell you how many conversations this spot started for me. not just because i'm in advertising, and i talk about advertising, but because there was a story we could all be a part of.

anyway, VW came back this year with a "sequel" - which, they announced with a teaser spot, "the bark side":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ntDYjS0Y3w&feature=BFa&list=PL1A674757461E469B&lf=plpp_video

adage wrote a piece on how this was created and was quite insightful - finding the right dogs, cuing the barks and how it was shot/filmed/edited. i had high expectations for the sequel, especially after viewing the teaser. it was inventive. it played on the previous year, without making it feel like a retread. obviously, at the same time, VW/Deutsch LA was just running and building off of their previous hit.

well, then, the real spot aired ("the dog strikes back"): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-9EYFJ4Clo&list=PL1A674757461E469B&index=1&feature=plpp_video

WHY?! the payoff of the whole thing was just plain lazy and disgusting. weak. what sucks about this is the magic that i loved from "the force" spot, actually WAS there in "the dog strikes back"... until the end. cutting out to the canteen scene sucked all the fun and interest out of the spot, because it was really them, VW and the ad agency, reaching for something that wasn't really there or needed. the point i'm trying to make: we didn't really need to have a sequel to the spot. it was unnecessary and showed how little faith they have in the consumer - feeling we wouldn't accept a spot that wasn't something we were familiar with.

this, overall, reminds me of a current issue regarding "bridesmaids" - kristen wiig has said she has no intention of creating a sequel. and, like 'entertainment weekly', i applaud and agree with the decision. yes, the movie was a hit. yes, it was hilarious. but, it had a complete story - there wasn't, and isn't - a need to see what else happens in these women's lives. i feel similar to the VW spots. the worst part is how they even mentioned last years spot, like, they didn't believe in the spot themselves.