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1-JAN-2025 | Excerpt from David Abbott’s “2009” Ad for VW

Author

Dan Bogachek
January 01, 2025

Excerpt from David Abbott’s “2009” Ad for VW

One of the last ads (if not the last) from the legendary David Abbott.

2009 isn’t the year to take up gambling.

A recession is no time to take risks.

So if you’re thinking of buying a commercial vehicle, buy one that makes commercial sense.

A Volkswagen.

Whatever their size, we build our vans to be robust and trouble-free. Like the Volkswagen Transporter.

It’s so well built that when you come to sell it there’ll always be someone keen to buy it — and not for a knockdown price, either. After 3 years of use, you’ll get more of your investment back than with any other van in its class. (Including Mercedes.) 🏁

  • Negative hook: when something isn’t, it begs the question… what is it then?

  • Intra-sentence repetition: "commercial vehicle” → “commercial sense.” Pleasing.

  • Benefits >> features. Notice how “robust and trouble-free” is all about your experience — not what it looks like?

  • Complete ideas >> complete sentences. “Like the Volkswagen Transporter” is the second half of a 1-2, punctuating the previous longer point. We’ve got two prominent 1-2’s in this excerpt.

  • Tactical parenthetical sentence!

You glance at your watch.

It’s 6:28. You’ve been at it since 3.
Crap. Your hot date is at 7. Running late. Sink shower it is.
Nowhere close to done editing…

“…at least all the ideas are laid out, so there’s that. Did I miss anything? I don’t think so? Ok, but how do I make it flow? I need to get the final draft to Stacey for design asap, team cutoff is at noon Thursday…”

You’ve spent dinner completely distracted. Your date just took off. You go home exhausted, plod to your desk, and flip open the laptop.

Or… what if:

5:41 — you’re out of the shower and lip-syncing.
6:17 — dressed to the nines and zenned out.
7:03 — the sunset glints off your aviators as you smile hello.
8:36 — it actually feels like you’re hitting it off. Not just hot, funny to boot.
Next morning, 9:27 — final draft ready in your inbox.
10:31 — Stacey messages back, “thanks, looks good!”

The difference?

Copygloss handled it. Before you left for the date, actually.

For help with editing, email Dan:
[email protected].