- Copywork365
- Posts
- 10-JUN-2024 | Julian Koenig’s “Think Small” Beetle Ad
10-JUN-2024 | Julian Koenig’s “Think Small” Beetle Ad
Dan Bogachek
June 10, 2024
Julian Koenig’s “Think Small” Beetle Ad
Think small.
Our little car isn’t so much of a novelty any more.
A couple of dozen college kids don’t try to squeeze inside it.
The guy at the gas station doesn’t ask where the gas goes.
Nobody even stares at our shape.
In fact, some people who drive our little flivver don’t even think 32 miles to the gallon is going any great guns.
Or using five pints of oil instead of five quarts.
Or never needing anti-freeze.
Or racking up 40,000 miles on a set of tires.
That’s because once you get used to some of our economies, you don’t even think about them anymore.
Except when you squeeze into a small parking spot. Or renew your small insurance. Or pay a small repair bill. Or trade in your old VW for a new one.
Think it over.
Of course, the headline. “Think small” shatters the status quo of the time. We’re used to “think bigger.”
Pattern inside a pattern. The Isn’t’s/Don’t’s are in groups of three. The Or’s come in groups of three. There are three sections, all with three add-ons inside it. This repetition of threes gives the whole structure a sort-of solid, self-congruent feeling.
The Beetle is now grown up: “Nobody even stares at our shape”. It’s vulnerable — they’re admitting they liked the attention. What does this do? Implicitly, what they’re really saying is, “as much as we would have liked to stay hip, we’re unfortunately ultra-legit and established now…” Admission to vanity and a brag, wrapped into one.
The flow of the sections: Novelty → it needs way less → it’s less strain on your wallet. The punchline is that the car is easier and costs less for you, the owner.
Soft call to action (“Think it over”) mirrors the hook. Very nice.
Grade 1 on the Hemingway App. Remember: easy to understand means easy to remember!
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 crack open the laptop.
Or… it could go like this:
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, 10:27 — polished draft ready in your inbox.
10:31 — Stacey messages back, “thanks, looks good!”
The difference?
You had Copygloss handle it yesterday afternoon.
For help with editing, email Dan:
[email protected].
Julian Koenig penned the above copy in 1959.
The Doyle Dane Dernbach Beetle campaign went on to be ranked as the best ad campaign of the 20th century by Ad Age.
