Volkswagen Dropping ‘Das Auto’ For Marketing Makeover

Volkswagen badge (Credit: Volkswagen)

Volkswagen is in serious need of an image makeover, thanks to the incredibly damaging results that are continuing to unfold from the whole Dieselgate scandal. One of the steps the company’s taking means the “Das Auto” slogan will no longer be used. While nobody has been violently killed by the NOx emissions spewing forth from various TDI vehicles, the public is rightly outraged that VW bilked the system and put everyone’s health at risk.

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“Das Auto” or “The Car” in German has been used by Volkswagen all over the world. It’s a symbol of the automaker’s proud heritage, but some interpret it as an arrogant declaration that VW is the one who produces “the car” while other automakers don’t.

A report from Reuters concludes that the dropping of the old slogan is part of a maneuver to show humility in the public eye. Apparently some feel that “Das Auto” is elitist and needs to go in an act of contrition. That might seem far-fetched, but faced with falling sales, upset TDI owners, government action in countries around the globe and a damaged image, Volkswagen needs to show that it’s ready to change.

The replacement slogan will simply be “Volkswagen.” While it might have seemed the company couldn’t go with anything more plain, it’s done just that and now all the joy is gone.

The hope is that this even more streamlined slogan will help convince consumers that VW has truly moved on, and that the corporate culture behind the whole scandal is no more. A gradual rollout of the new slogan is coming in different markets. As of the writing of this article, the automaker’s official website still has “Das Auto” below the VW insignia.

Supposedly Volkswagen is working on new marketing materials that will emphasize the company is an innovator when it comes to technology, especially zero-emissions vehicles. That would fall in line with Audi’s big push toward electrification and Porsche’s moves into the EV market, which has generated loads of positive press. The VW brand could stand to benefit in the same ways, but it must also weigh carefully each move it makes while on extremely thin ice.