Volkswagen to drop 'Das Auto' from its global advertising slogan

Kuala Lumpur/Berlin: Volkswagen 'Dieselgate' is marked as the biggest scandal of this year and commemorating the same, the German car maker has decided to drop its 'Das Auto' slogan from the global advertising campaign because the company is scarred of its effect on the public relations planning an offensive image.

The widely appreciated and loved slogan was released by the company in 2007 under the unseated CEO Martin Winterkorn. 'Das Auto' was regarded as one of the best slogan owing to its simplicity and meaning. Das Auto means “The Car”. However, fearing of the companies falling image after the most infamous scandal in Volkswagen's history 'The Dieselgate', VW executives are planning for a more humble persona towards its customers and explaining the brand as 'The Car' will not help out to regain the same trust.

However the 'Das Auto' slogan will not be completely banished by the company but it will no longer appear along with the famous VW badge all across the globe. The VW badge will receive an all new revived logo that can easily connect with the customers who lost trust in the brand. Volkswagen spokesman reported to Reuters that the all new slogan will soon be rolled out across the world in different stages.

As reported by the Reuters, this all-new advertising campaign was discussed over at Dresden last week in a closed meeting between 2,000 group managers of VW. While the company is associated with a lot of brands but the major subject in the Dresden was to come up with different measures to regain the brands trust and initiatives in building Volkswagen's reputation across the major markets of US and UK.

Volkswagen brand chief Herbert Diess said that Winterkorn's slogan suggests the brand as a complete car with no faults, it defines the brand as an absolutist which portrays an arrogant image towards it's presence in the real world at the moment. Where, VW actually is a company that is facing huge allegations and mammoth penalties from recalling and repairing cars to also meet emissions requirements and legal lawsuits.

Thus, it is not the time to show arrogance but humility to gain audience trust. The old slogan does not convey the technological advancements of the company, the ambitious projects in areas like electrically-powered vehicles. Therefore, the company has to come with something new that can describe VW's achievements and future projects for the benefit of mankind.