Volkswagen Subverts Delayed Viewing with a 'Slowmercial'

Dawdling spot won't let fast-forwarders escape

Published On
Mar 18, 2013

Editor's Pick

Delayed viewing is a real problem for advertisers -- and in Belgium 1/3 of viewers watch TV via recorded means, with 80% of them skipping commercial breaks entirely. How do you capture their attention? DDB Brussels transforms what is basically a print ad into a commercial, with "Slowmercial."

A static TV spot, the 30-second film shows the VW Beetle Cabrio doing nothing very exciting except slowly opening its roof, with a VO that invites viewers to the car's "open door" days. Whether you watch it in fast-forward mode or regular viewing, you just can't escape from this spot.