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Dmitri McDaniel

Professor Beadle

English 115

18 November 2019

Volkswagen Ad

This Ad was developed by the Volkswagen Car Company, it was portrayed in a

surrealistic form which emphasized three main figures in the photo: a man, a truck, and a tree.

The Ad contains an array of visual techniques to allow their audience to escape the boundaries of

their conscious mind so that they may comprehend the reality that Volkswagen (VW) is

portraying. The company was able to accomplish this by displaying how their new era of cars

affects the modern world. This includes a vague interpretation of what their car line can do for

both their audience and the earth. Most importantly, the usage of their unique color pallet and the

application of their odd form of art.

The Ad’s juxtaposition of the man in the foremost left part of the photo allows for an

interesting interpretation of its importance. For one, it alludes to a change in car production,

resulting in a replacement of traditional mechanics to a more modern technician. The man who’s

placed in the front of the photo is wearing blue overalls and a blue cap, along with a white towel

tucked in the photo. This description alone, helps the audience understand the profession of this

unnamed man and why the conditions of their clothes are offbeat. Traditionally, coveralls are

used when “the mechanic [might] encounter significant vehicle fluid leakage, or when they have

to cart under a vehicle” (Lipscomb, 2017). The VW company may have deliberated illustrated
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the mechanic in this way to emphasize the lack of relevance that line of work will have in their

reality.

In addition to the clothing the mechanic is wearing, the abnormally exaggerated shape of the

man creates a prominent point of focus. The man’s body seems to be cloned, possing more than

one hand towel tucked away in his pocket. The image assists the audience in understanding that

this singular man is a representation of all mechanics. Accompanied by boundless creation of

torsos, the man’s arm is elongated in a twisted unfeasible way. The arm is supported by a measly

branch with a closed sign on it. It is reasonable to say that VW adds all these illusionary

elements to create the connection of this change in the workforce, but the image of the man

speaks more volume than this. Surpassing the sheer image of this man, the way the man is

positioned also brings more depth to the message being portrayed. The flow of energy from the

slightly twisted body sprouting from the ground; to the elongated arm stretched across the central

line of focus in the image to the opposite facing face covered by the opposing arm exemplifies

the intense emotion of sorrow this man feels. Putting in perspective that VW created this man to

represent the masses, it is plausible that the entire scene depicted here is the schematic downfall

of repairmen.

In addition to the mechanic, the symbolism in the tree that stands in front of him alludes

heavily to the environmental changes present in VW’s fictional world. Stuffed in the far right of

the image, a gas gauge is measly suspended by a belt, strapped tightly around it on a tree with

roses growing from the top. Taking a better look at the tree, the audience can notice its quirky

colorization and form. From the bottom half of the tree, the colors used are primarily dull in

pigment. They consist mainly of deemed and darken brown colors with a black hue, however as
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the audience examines the tree more, the top position of the tree has more vibrant hazelnut

shades. The twisted form of the trunk guides the audience’s imagination that the tree could have

been aged poorly due to unnatural factors. VW may have portrayed the tree in this way to hint at

how plumbing for fossil fuels may seep inside the trees, corroding and damaging them. This

hypothesis can be backed up by the dark black hue emitted from the tree, the hue can be a

representation of the oils that VW may be fearful of. However, despite the rotting of the tree, two

roses sprout from the bent trunk of the tree on top. The rose’s defiance of not dying alludes to the

popular poem The Rose That Grew from Concrete by the famous songwriter Tupac Shakur.

Shakur’s poem highlights themes of tolerance, hope, and dreams; which perfectly fits VW’s

purpose of this Ad. Keeping this in mind, the placement of the gas gauge which is forcefully

stuck on “full tank” may represent how and why these roses are defying nature and are growing

on a half-dead tree. This, plus the small message reading “Absurdly Low Consumption Rates”

under the tree, can help viewers determine exactly what VW’s goal is and provide further

explanation on how their envisioned future can bring a change to the world.

Other examples of environmental changes can be seen in the background of the Ad.

Immediately stuffed behind the elongated arm of the mechanic is a fuel trunk. A heavy usage if

surrealism is depicted here, as the truck’s tank is squished half-empty similar to a tube of

toothpaste which is being supported by three twigs. The truck itself posses no windows of any

sort and is rusted a bronze color accompanied by a red tint. The sur-realistic view portrays a

downfall in petroleum oil which helps push VW’s agenda in using diesel. This idea is further

supported by the image of oil rigs, further behind the truck, rusted the same color, being engulfed

by more roses and vines. The purpose of the image being presented is to show how fossil fuels
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will eventually become obsolete, which will eventually reverse human intervention in the natural

order of things.

Although Volkswagen has effectively used these elements to highlight their goals, the

usage of surrealism can be misinterpreted and cause their audience to become doubtful of their

plans. As stated by Joan Miro, an art critic, surrealism refers to “to the idea of an independent

reality, existing beneath our conscious reality”(Miro) with that being said, it is easy for the

audience to take this art form and see it as nothing but a fantasy. The absurdity of the images

portrayed in the ad, like the truck being squeezed as if it was toothpaste, can be so bizarre that

the audience might miss the point that Volkswagen is trying to create. Unfortunately,

Volkswagen rendering their Ad in a distorted way may cause their audience to lose faith in what

they may have to offer.

In conclusion, Volkswagen has developed an Ad to show their audience changes to come

for their cars. Volkswagen was able to captivate their audience with a unique use of surrealism

accompanied by a dull array of colors. The Ad was able to depict what Volkswagen’s new cars

will be like; and how it will affect both the environment and other professions. However, it was

noted that some of the elements Volkswagen used in their Ad may prove to be disadvantageous

for their cause.

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Works Cited

Lipscomb, David. “What Kind of Clothing Should a Mechanic Wear?” ​Our Everyday Life,​

10 Jan. 2019,

oureverydaylife.com/what-kind-of-clothing-should-a-mechanic-wear-12621971.ht

ml.

Park West Gallery. “What Is Surrealism? How Art Illustrates the Unconscious.” ​Park West

Gallery​, Park West Gallery, 6 Nov. 2019,

www.parkwestgallery.com/what-is-surrealism-art/.