Mommy Overdrive?

I took a quick survey of my women close women business associates, who are Mom's and a few Mommy Bloggers I know and got mixes reactions and reviews about the new Brook Shields 2009 VW Routan YouTube Ad aimed at Mom's who may be in the market for a new Mini Van:

View Video by Clicking here.

Mother of Two from Northern California:

"1) I would call it almost abrasive advertising - egad! If it wasn't so poorly written and acted it might have been funny in an edgy way but it is just dumb. It seems to make an awful lot of fun of the American public's intelligence and sense of privacy if you ask me - case in point number two:

2) Reverse vasectomies, fertility treatments - in a car ad! Yuck.

3) It is 4 minutes too long!"

Mother of two from Florida:

"I've seen the TV commercial on the Routan, it was very comical. The extended version on the web site is also comical, but too long. I think VW is attempting to come up with a different route for their commercials...I think it's catchy...Being a mother of two doesn't mean that I'll go out and buy a minivan...regardless of who makes it..But this commercial sticks, I went beyond watching the web version to VW's site and took a tour of the inside of the minivan; the commercial on the web site neglected to show the inside of the Routan.."

Mother of Two from Southern California:

"Okay. Well, at 4 minutes too long, it's a happy thing the ad won't be shown on television. Of course it's a parody, but it's a dumb one at that. If only they could have made it even slightly funny in its failed attempt at humor. So many of the other Volkswagen commercials have been clever and funny lately, but I think they just missed their mark on this one. Brooke is gorgeous, but she's not believable here. She's got great hair, but she doesn't do a very good job of selling the van or unselling the van so that people are birthing babies just to get into the van."

A Soon to be Mom in Texas:

German engineering/Chrysler engineering aside it seemed like an ill-executed concept that could have been very funny.  I honestly didn't get it at first and then when I got it I kept wanting to laugh, but it just wasn't funny. Additionally, its almost like she repeats "German Engineering" so many times it seems like she is trying to talk herself into believing it, too.  I love witty marketing, but this just fell flat for me.

I am a Mother of three and have six grandchildren ages 1 – 9:

Personally I found this ad offensive and in poor taste. Sigh… yet another new car ad with sexual undertones and this time aimed at Moms of all people, ‘Yuck’, is right.

AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly ad rating: 3 out of 10.

Jody DeVere

CEO/President

AskPatty.com, Inc.

www.askpatty.com