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VW Golf V GTI Commercials Were First Creepy Then Funny, Can You Decide on a Winner?

I've driven quite a few different VW Golfs during the past decade, but strangely enough, I've never had the chance to drive the MK V Golf GTI. I have had the pleasure of experiencing a VR6-swapped Golf II, and a non-16V version of the MK III GTI, and both were quite fun to move around in. The MK IV GTI was the first one to bring boost into the equation, and we all know how things evolved from that point on.
VW Golf V GTI Commercials Were First Creepy Then Funny, Can You Decide on a Winner? 18 photos
Photo: Volkswagen
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The Volkswagen Golf platform will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in a little over one year from now. The MK I was introduced in 1974 as a replacement for the Beetle. At this point, if you walk into a VW dealership you can buy the eighth-generation Golf, and it's easy to understand why this is one of the most popular cars in automotive history.

Be prepared to reinvent yourself

With over 35 million units being sold since the early days, it's right up there at the top with the likes of the Toyota Corolla and the Ford F-Series trucks. Meanwhile, that figure is almost twice as big as the number of Honda Civic units to have ever left the factory floor.

Looking at how each generation performed in terms of sales, you can notice the evolution of the model over the years: 6.99 million units for the MK I, 6.3 million for the MK II, 6.83 million for the MK III, 4.99 million for the MK IV, 3.4 million for the MK V, 2.85 million for the MK VI, and almost six million MK VII Golfs between 2012 to 2019.

A sporty, GTI variant has been available for every single generation, with engines evolving from a 108-hp 1.6-liter back in the early days to a 241-hp 2.0-liter unit today.

VW Golf V GTI Commercials Were First Creepy Then Funny, Can You Decide on a Winner\?
Photo: Volkswagen
It's also worth noting that all GTIs have had turbochargers under the hood starting with the MK IV, which also happens to be the last one to have had an engine with a displacement that was smaller than 2 liters. Even so, some people have pointed out that the MK IV might have been just as fast if not faster than its successor: the MK V.

If it doesn't sell, it isn't creative

The MK V GTI concept had been revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003, but the production model surfaced one year later in Paris. North American VW enthusiasts had to wait two more years to get their hands on this car.

And when VW made the mode, they wanted to come in with a bang. The German manufacturer decided to bring a new agency aboard for the task of creating an exciting commercial for the GTI. And so they waved goodbye to Arnold Worldwide and started working with Crispin Porter Bogusky instead.

Now, with any commercial, you must gather as much information about your target audience as possible. You need to be able to get inside people's minds if you're going to have the slightest chance at influencing any of their choices.

VW Golf V GTI Commercials Were First Creepy Then Funny, Can You Decide on a Winner\?
Photo: Volkswagen
They started with a series of ads focused on the concept of "My Fast." You might be aware of the fact that the Golf has also been marketed under the name Rabbit before. So it's nice to see that they chose this animal as a starting point for the main character featured in the commercial.

My Fast likes to keep things light

This stylized demon/spokesperson was meant to be a reflection of the driver's alter-ego, and it had a genuine need for speed. Some described this campaign as slightly creepy or inappropriate, but you have to admit that it's slightly funny in a way.

The series contains a total of four videos, and anyone who has a thing for fast cars can relate to the visuals crafted by the production team. One of these ads shows a young couple cruising in a GTI with the windows down. As the driver's girlfriend asks him to roll them up, we see the rabbit demon acting up. "My Fast likes the windows down."

While she can't hear that inner voice, the connection between man and machine is further emphasized as the driver blurs out a slightly inappropriate comment: "Sweety, it's really hard for me to enjoy the sound of the engine with all that yakking!" Can you imagine how the world would have reacted to this commercial if it were released now?

VW Golf V GTI Commercials Were First Creepy Then Funny, Can You Decide on a Winner\?
Photo: Volkswagen
In the second commercial, you can see a GTI owner ordering some fast food on a rainy night. When confronted with the question: "Pickup or delivery?" he gets into a staredown with his "My Fast" totem. "My Fast thinks delivery is for the weak" leads to the only possible outcome for such a promo video. That inner voice keeps on talking as we see another couple's situation.

Time to un-pimp the auto!

As the driver's about to leave, his girlfriend wants to get inside too. But "My Fast likes to keep things light" isn't going to let her climb aboard. In the fourth and final "My Fast" ad, the narrator suggests one should make friends with his fast after a close encounter with the state trooper.

An unexpected side effect of this campaign was the instant success of the rabbit totem, a product that sold quite well. You can still pick one up for as much as $400 today.

But let's look at the second part of VW's GTI campaign too. The VDub - Unpimp Your Auto series of three episodes was created as a parody of the Pimp My Ride show, and it was meant to show a bone stock GTI is a much better choice than any old tuned vehicle.

VW Golf V GTI Commercials Were First Creepy Then Funny, Can You Decide on a Winner\?
Photo: Volkswagen
The agency called in the brilliant Swedish actor Peter Stormare, who had just recently played the role of Lucifer in Constantine alongside Keanu Reeves. In these commercials, he plays a German engineer named Wolfgang, and it seems both he and his sexy assistant have got a real appetite for destruction.

As he un-pimps a Mitsubishi Eclipse, a Honda Civic, and a Ford Focus, the Volkswagen Golf MK V GTI magically appears out of thin air, and the "V Dub! Representing Deutschland!" phrase has been part of pop culture history ever since. Most people would agree that this campaign was a lot funnier than the first one, and it's no wonder that several parodies have surfaced online after its success. Which one of these ads did you find more enjoyable to watch?

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About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
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