Crispin, Porter + Bogusky, the ad agency that Volkswagen of America recruited to buff up its image, has decided it doesn’t want the VW business after all, VOA officials have confirmed.
The ultra-hip agency from Miami and Boulder has elected not to participate in the agency review ordered by VOA’s top brass. The decision effectively will end Crispin, Porter’s engagement with VW, which announced last month it was putting VW’s advertising work up for review.
VOA executives have said the automaker needs a broader message if it plans to more than double its sales over the next decade.
“The Volkswagen brand needs to inspire our base of enthusiasts as well as reach out and captivate those in mainstream America. Therefore, we are re-evaluating all areas of our business, and after careful considerations have decided to take the necessary steps to ensure we have the right agency partner in place,” said Tim Ellis, VOA vice president of marketing.
Nevertheless, VW’s decision to put the ad work up for review came as a surprise because Crispin, Porter’s work had been catchy and the agency had not yet finished one complete product cycle.
VW hasn’t released a complete list of agencies that have elected to participate in the review.
Chrysler-Fiat also is taking broad look at its advertising.
Crispin, Porter, which also has done ads for Mini and Apple, has handled all aspects of VOA’s advertising recently.