VW Gives You Something To Smile About

If you're anything like me, you've had it with the accusations, twisted facts and mudslinging occurring with every political candidate running for an office in the U.S. Just what has happened to political ads in this country? When did candidates stop running on the strength of their own words and actions and start focusing on how to twist the words and actions of those running against them?

Okay, okay. Time to get off my soapbox. But, it does appear that Volkswagen agrees with me, at least in part. Or perhaps their consumer focus groups reflected a similar sentiment being expressed by many Americans. Regardless of their reasons, VW decided to take a break from all the negativity of the 2012 election season.

In walks their latest TV ad, coined the Volkswagen Smiles Campaign, in which people from all walks of life, ethnicities and ages share spontaneous, belly-busting giggles and laughs for the duration of the :30 ad.

Just like negative advertising can bring your spirits down, smiles and laughter can take you to a happier place. And this ad does that in spades.

According to the Ad Age blog, "The carmaker has released a special spot tied to the presidential race which it says will "deliver a lighthearted break" from the election cycle."

In the eyes of this one American voter, it is a well-appreciated break.

Now, you may wonder how 30 seconds of laughing ties back to the Volkswagen brand. Vice President of Marketing, Ken Mayer, suggests that the ripples of laughter embody the positive spirit of VW; plus, it pays off their tagline: It's not the miles, it's how you live them.

Thank you Volkswagen ... for your optimism and for the much needed break from political candidates across the land.