What I am about to write is probably advertising heresy, so here goes nothing.

First, let me say that I think Crispin is a very good agency. They do very good work, occasionally great. They employ many hard-working, talented people. And in a lot of ways, they set the standard for what every agency should aspire to be. In short: they get it.

However, I do not believe the work they did for VW furthered that brand in any way. In fact, I actually think some of their stuff hurt the brand—and this isn’t merely my opinion, I can prove it. When you read question I am about to ask, answer yes, or no, as quickly as you can.

Have you ever heard of the VW CC?

If you answered “yes,” there is a customer on the other side of the lot looking at a silver Jetta. Hurry, they’re about to walk across the street to that other dealership.

If you answered “no,” you may be surprised to learn that the VW CC has been available for sale in the United Stated for almost two years.

Of course, as with any account, the degree to which the clients themselves are complicit is likely to be rather high. Perhaps they bought the wrong campaign? Perhaps they did not invest in this model? Perhaps they misjudged the desire for a four-door coupe version of the Passat. Whatever transpired, this is an acute example of what happens when an agency and a client don’t belong together. In hindsight, I wish that Arnold had been allowed the opportunity to continue building the Drivers Wanted campaign. It fit the brand, and the people who bought into it.

Hopefully, VW will find the right fit with Goodby (should they win the pitch), and more importantly, I hope that in the future, they will be in less of a hurry to “unpimp” their agency for the flavor of the moment.

Cheers.

- Craig Crawford