Volkswagen Launches U.S. Atlas Commercial Campaign, and It's a Tear Jerker

Introduced late last year, the vehicle offered ample space and seating for seven while making sure not to rock the boat in the slightest with its exterior design. The classic Volkswagen recipe that has worked so well all over the world with models such as the Golf or the Passat, then: practicality above anything else. Substance over form, if you like.

The Atlas has a lot going for it, but it also has to make everyone forget there was a giant, gassy elephant in the room a little over a year ago. We're talking, of course, about the whole Dieselgate affair, a stain that will remain on Volkswagen's reputation for years to come, no matter how many billions they invest in EV development.

The German company has just released its new advertising campaign for the SUV, and if anything, it shows it knows how to strike a chord with its target demographics. It compiles of seven videos of various lengths (15 or 30 seconds) plus the main spot spanning over one minute and a half.

If you have grandparents or, even more so, if you had them, then it's absolutely impossible to watch it without suddenly feeling a congestion in your throat and somebody opening the taps in your eyes. It's good, it's warm, it's very family-oriented, and if the car is at least decent, it should get the job done for VW.

It also touches on two more subjects Americans are very much into: patriotism and road trips. Seeing the stunning landscapes this country has to offer while a mushy song plays in the background is enough to make you get up from your seat and start planning a cross-country vacation.

The spell is ruined in the end when the voiceover jumps in and tells us about such frivolous things as the six-year bumper-to-bumper transferable warranty. It may be for the Americans, but Volkswagen is still a German company.