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The news sounded spectacular: German car giant Volkswagen is changing its brand in the United States to “Voltwagen.” In the course of the group’s strategic realignment towards electric mobility, this is a surprising step, but at first glance it is quite appropriate. Alone: The alleged name change is a public relations joke, as VW has now admitted. There is criticism of this because the company initially confirmed the message and at the same time participation rose significantly.
The charade began earlier this week with a press release that was allegedly released prematurely by accident. In it, Volkswagen of America announced, including a statement from its boss Scott Keogh, that the new name, a pun on volts as a unit of electrical voltage, is a commitment to electric mobility. Soon after, the message disappeared from VW’s website, but only after American journalists saw it.
As indicated in the following US media reports, VW confirmed when asked that it was a serious message. In fact, the press release appeared for the second time the next day, only to be removed again.
A VW spokesperson in the US finally told the German Press Agency in the evening (local time): “There will be no name change of Volkswagen of America. The alleged name change was intended as an announcement in the spirit April 1, around the launch of the all-electric ID .4 SUV and to communicate our commitment to electric mobility for all. “
For VW, the confusion could have serious consequences from the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the AP news agency reported. Because as a result of the announcement, the stock price went up almost five percent. Initially there was no reaction from the SEC.
A VW spokesperson in Germany said: “We cannot see any influence on the stock market price due to the ad campaign. That was and is not the goal of the campaign.” The intention was to draw attention “to an important business and industrial issue in the United States.” “To this end, an integrated national marketing campaign was developed and implemented in the United States, also with a twinkle in the eye.”
Positive comments on social media showed that the goal had been achieved. “At the same time, we regret that we exceeded the campaign target in people’s perception,” the spokesperson said. I controlled the Volkswagen of America campaign. The departments responsible for the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand in Wolfsburg were informed of this in advance.
It was only in 2019 that the Volkswagen brand, which has yet to recover from the diesel scandal, comprehensively overhauled its brand identity, including its logo, to appear more authentic and environmentally friendly.
“If VW was half as good at protecting the climate as it is at the calculated joke, you wouldn’t have to worry about the future of the group,” criticized Benjamin Stephan of Greenpeace. “In order for ‘Voltwagen’ not to remain an empty public relations joke, VW needs a clear and swift farewell to the internal combustion engine,” he demanded.
Pedro Pacheco, an auto expert at analytics firm Gartner, also critically rated the ad campaign. “On the one hand, it is good that they want to be brave, since the big automakers are more known for being averse to taking risks,” he said. “But it was a risky move that could disappoint customers.”
The car company’s advertising has generated controversy several times recently. In February, for example, an ad appeared on the right-wing American news portal “Breitbart”. VW attributed this to a faulty filter. Last year, VW also had to remove a racist promotional video for the new Golf. Inside, a white hand was pushing a black man. (dpa / off / red)
