White lies

The illustrations, created in Haugomat’s distinctive style of pared-down colours and swathes of negative space, depict parents with their children in a number of scenarios.

At the top of each picture is a caption featuring a classic parenting fib. In one image, a father tells his child that if he pees in the swimming pool, he will be flushed away and another shows a dad telling his daughter that their dead fish is sleeping.

The campaign aims to deter consumers from visiting used-car salesmen and encourages them to instead use Volkswagen’s professional service. This is strengthened through the use of the tagline: ‘If they lie to their kids, what will they tell you when they sell you their car?’

The Big Picture: This straight-talking approach is something we will examine further in our forthcoming Anti-authenticity Marketing macrotrend. For more, book tickets to our Autumn/Winter 2015 Trend Briefing, Beyond Borders.