"Winding Road" = Interesting

There's an article over at Ad Age today about the new VW campaign and the "winding road" the work has taken over the last fifteen months or so. The article cites a couple experts that the "hair pin turns" taken by VW are a mistake. I couldn't disagree more.

Of all the brands out there, none has held my attention like VW. Why? Because they mix it up and they keep it interesting. The work fits together over time, but it's not repetitive. The inconsistencies in the individual messages just make it more interesting. I remember being delighted when VW gave away guitars and had spots featuring Slash and John Mayer. Guitars that can plug into cars? Why? Because it's interesting.

I'm also reminded of bits and pieces of thinking about brands that I read on Russell Davies blog. In particular, I remember a post (or was it a video) where he discussed polyphonic brands. Russell compares brands to a symphony. In which there are many different nuanced sounds (that are interesting in and of themselves) that create a collective whole.

The VW work's incongruity and freshness makes the brand more interesting and engages the audience even more. As it becomes harder and harder for brands to reach a mass audience, it becomes more important that brands be nuanced, varied and well, interesting. No one is interested in a person that says the same things, tells the same jokes or wears the same clothes. Why would we like brands that do the same things over and over?