BRANDS OF THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD

If you have ever wondered which car brand comes from which company, then the infographic below can act as a ready reckoner. 

However, do remember that this is the reality today. It may not have been the case in the past and it may not necessarily remain true in the future. 

Let me explain by taking the example of Jaguar brand:

• Jaguar started as a brand in 1922 under the ownership of S. S. Cars Limited made in association with Standard Motor Co.
• The company became Jaguar cars in 1945. 
• In 1966, it merged with another company and became renamed as British Motor Holdings (BMH). 
• Two years later, another merger led Jaguar to become a part of British Leyland. 
• In the year 1990, Ford acquired the Jaguar brand and retained it till 2008 
• In 2008, Tata Motors bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford. 

So it doesn't take long for brands to change hands and then sit under a different roof.

THE LAST MILE

#Volkswagen Beetle is an icon in the world of automobiles. Also known as The Bug, it has been winning the love of fans across the world for decades. Every time a Beetle hits the road, it turns heads and people want to check out the person behind the wheel.

Not only is it famous for its car model, but also popular for its campaigns like Think Small and Lemon.

Now, after 70 years, the #Beetle is finally retiring and the car is signing off with a nostalgic ad film 'The Last Mile' built on the soundtrack of The Beatles - Let It Be, an acknowledgement of the fact that the Beetle appeared on the album cover of Abbey Road.

The ad also shows artist Andy Warhol to thank him for the painting that he created of the car.

All of these incidents and events played a great role in making the Beetle brand as iconic and as loved as it is today and an integral part of the culture in many countries.

A huge investment like this for a brand that will not be sold anymore is yet another example of how special this car and this brand was to all the people behind it.

Enjoy this beautiful tribute. 

DON'T PRETEND

This is such a cheeky yet witty print campaign from Volkswagen AG in Turkey. 

Look at the two images closely. The people in the ad look seriously working, whether it is school or office. However, if you pay close attention, the boy has the pencil upside down and the woman is playing a computer game. 

I really like the closing lines - Ours don't pretend, they actually work. Volkswagen Genuine Parts.

Instead of using automobile visuals, they have chosen visuals unrelated to their industry and yet give a clear and strong message.

Good job by their creative agency DDB, Turkey.

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY!

Car brand #Lexus recently launched their rain-sensing automatic windshield wipers in the market of South Africa. Such automatic windshield wipers are not new in the #automotive industry but the company wanted to show its effectiveness to potential car buyers in the markets of South Africa. 

So their ad agency M&C Saatchi came up with a witty print campaign where they put up some very popular rain songs in their ads but removed the word 'rain' from the lyrics of each of these songs to demonstrate the effectiveness of their wipers. 

Very smart and gives out the message clearly.