When Desperate Underdogs Changed Advertising
“Creativity is the last unfair advantage we’re legally allowed to take over our competitors.” — Bill Bernbach
The 1960s redefined advertising forever. Among the many great campaigns from this era, two stories stand out. They’re not just stories of great advertising — they’re stories of how creativity and courage changed an industry.
And who changed it? Believe it or not, it was two tiny European carmakers that revolutionized American advertising. They did something nobody thought possible — they took on Detroit at its peak, and won.
It was Detroit’s golden age. GM, Ford, and Chrysler dominated American roads with massive, chrome-covered beasts. Their advertising was just as powerful — selling not just vehicles, but the American Dream itself. Remember “See The USA In Your Chevrolet”? Each year, the cars got bigger and flashier, and the promises got bolder and more ridiculous.
Into this world of chrome and exaggeration stepped two unlikely challengers: Volkswagen, with their small, humble Beetle, and Volvo, with their practical compact. They couldn’t match Detroit’s massive marketing budgets — not even close. But what they lacked in financial muscle, they made up for with revolutionary creative thinking.
Here’s what’s fascinating — they each chose small, unknown agencies hungry to make their mark. When both the client and their ad agency are desperate, it often leads to great work. As Drayton Bird put it, “Desperation is a very good thing: you take risks you would never have taken. And it makes you more courageous.”
VW partnered with Doyle Dane Bernbach, led by Bill Bernbach — a Jewish copywriter now tasked with selling a German car with Nazi roots to post-war America. Volvo found Carl Ally, a former fighter pilot who flew in World War II and Korea. Ally wasn’t afraid of a dogfight — perfect for a brand ready to take on Detroit. He believed in Volvo so much, he drove one himself.
VW’s iconic ad with the famous headline ‘Lemon’ is something most marketers know about. It is undoubtedly one of the greatest print campaigns ever. The body copy went on to explain why this Beetle was a lemon — they’d rejected it for a tiny glove compartment blemish that most manufacturers would have ignored. I’m not sure Carl Ally’s work for Volvo is as well known, which is quite surprising. Volvo’s campaign featured another iconic headline, and one of my all-time favorites — “DRIVE IT LIKE YOU HATE IT.”
Their approaches to truth-telling were distinct but equally powerful. While VW chose humor and charm to deliver their message, Volvo hit hard with direct comparisons and undeniable facts.
Volvo took this truth-telling even further. When Detroit was convincing Americans to replace their cars every two years, Volvo proudly announced their cars lasted eleven years on average in Sweden — surviving brutal winters on unpaved roads. They weren’t just selling cars; they were fighting Detroit’s whole philosophy of planned obsolescence.
The established players were furious. When Ford demanded Volvo stop comparing cars, Carl Ally shot back: “Make your car go faster.” When critics questioned VW’s simple design, Bernbach turned it into proof of their focus on quality over flash.
These weren’t just ad campaigns. This was rebellion through honesty. Revolution through quality. That’s when the creative revolution started. Both brands proved every bold claim they made — VW with their legendary reliability, Volvo with their unmatched durability.
Both found small agencies hungry to prove themselves. Both turned their European engineering into an advantage. Both chose facts over flash. But most importantly, both had products good enough to back up every claim.
The results? VW’s Beetle became an American icon. Volvo’s sales tripled in five years. But their real victory wasn’t just in sales numbers — it was in proving that advertising could succeed by telling the truth about quality when everyone else was selling dreams.
In today’s world of endless marketing hype, their lesson becomes even more relevant: Sometimes the best way to stand out isn’t to shout louder — it’s to prove you’re better.
That’s what made these campaigns so powerful — the courage of these small agencies matched the quality of the cars they were selling. The product, the narrative, and the creative execution — everything worked together perfectly. That’s how you build a great brand.
These European underdogs didn’t just sell cars. They changed how we think about advertising. They proved that honesty isn’t just good ethics — it’s good business.
