Volkswagen Faces the Music Over a Mistaken Ad Attack
In a move that has left auto‑fans and civil‑rights groups alike shaking their heads, Volkswagen pulled down a jaw‑dropping Instagram post that inadvertently turned into a hot micro‑page of racism.
The Accidental Throwback
The clip showed two stark, pale‑skinned hands seemingly pushing a black man away from a gleaming, yellow Golf—the pride piece of VW’s lineup. Some viewers took the gesture to mean a “white power” sign, and the captions that followed briefly spelled out a slur in German.
Immediate Fallout
- Volkswagen’s sales and marketing board member Juergen Stackmann and diversity chief Elke Heitmueller hit Twitter and LinkedIn making a clumsy apology.
- They wrote: “We understand the public outrage at this. Because we’re horrified, too. This video is an insult to all achievements of the civil rights movement. It is an insult to every decent person.”
- They followed up: “We at Volkswagen are aware of the historical origins and the guilt of our company during the Nazi regime. That is precisely why we resolutely oppose all forms of hatred, slander/propaganda and discrimination.”
History Not Forgotten
For context, VW was born under Hitler’s orders to produce the “people’s car,” and the company forced workers into the war effort. That backdrop makes their “no racism” stance feel a little too obvious.
What’s Next?
Volkswagen has stated that most of its ads are created by external agencies. The company is rolling up its sleeves, probing how the surreal mishap slipped through, and promises to put the findings on the public record once they’re nailed down.
TL;DR
Volkswagen’s Instagram misstep = public backlash + a flailing apology, set against a backdrop of the company’s shameful past. The auto giant is on a quest to figure out where the glitch happened and chill it out once they crush the case.
