Published in Media Arts, Digital by George Levitikos

The intention to watch a single video on YouTube can often turn into a trip down the proverbial rabbit hole. Clicking just one “related video” link can lead to an hour of watching hilarious cats, 90s music videos and bizarre covers of well-known songs. The new Volkswagen campaign uses this phenomenon to emphasize VW’s use of all-original parts in their vehicles. Videos featuring cover versions of hit songs had banner ads asking viewers to click them. Upon clicking the banner, viewers were taken to the original song, reminding viewers—“Don’t accept imitations. Prefer original parts.”