Humour is no stranger to the Volkswagen stable and it is a great device for taking on serious topics for society. While VW are frequent commentators on life’s little ironies and big moments, commenting on societal issues is a rarer occurrence for the brand.

An important part of the Civil Branding effort is being able to raise important issues for society. The financial crisis certainly seems to have overshadowed every other issue on the agenda for the moment. VW provides a little comic relief along with the rational offer of security.

This series of ads fulfils an important role of surfacing the topic of greed and insecurity in an acceptable way. While it ridicules traders for their greed, the ads also convey a kind of sympathy and understanding our interconnected human condition. The ads successfully walk the line between hope and dismay quite deftly and urge us to laugh at our folly together.

The style of the ad certainly rings true for VW’s self-awareness focused narratives, fitting in with other human-focused and life-style issues that VW explores in its communications.