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VDub

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 84.133.188.109 (talk) at 21:22, 23 April 2016 (Fixed misspelling of first name. Proof: https://www.meridianspa.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Personal_Training/PDF/Sonja_Woestendiek.pdf Spelling in a fashion model db is wrong.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about the advertisements for the Volkswagen GTI. For the video editing software, see VirtualDub. For the company whose vehicles are nicknamed VDub's, see Volkswagen.

VDub was a parody tagline, used in a short series of commercials for German car manufacturer Volkswagen. As part of a 2006 advertising campaign for Volkswagen, advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky created a series of three television commercials directed by Jonas Åkerlund, starring Swedish actor Peter Stormare as an effete German engineer named Wolfgang, and German model Sonja Wöstendiek as his assistant Miss Helga. The ads were created as a parody of MTV's Pimp My Ride.

The commercials began airing in late February 2006. Prior to the full launch of the TV campaign, the three 30-second spots became something of an internet phenomenon when popular automotive news website Leftlane News uploaded the ads to video distribution service YouTube. As of early March 2006, the ads had received over two million views on YouTube. Three years later, that number was over 10 million.


Commercials

Throughout the commercials, Wolfgang appears with his blonde assistant, a guest, and the guest's colorful pimped-out vehicle. After insulting the automobile, he then "un-pimps sie auto" by destroying it, and replacing it with a white 2006 Volkswagen GTI, to the surprise of his guest. At the end of the advertisements, Wolfgang flashes a hand sign to create the letters V and W in the same orientation as found in the Volkswagen logo. The hand sign is an imitation of the gang signs popularized by hip-hop culture.

"Wrecking Ball"

"Crate"

  • A Ford Focus ZX3 is crushed by a falling intermodal container containing the VW GTI. The Focus is referred to as a "98 Vatchamacallit" though the Focus was not available in the US (for which the commercials were produced) until 2000.

"Catapult"

See also

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