Corporate LOLs have returned with goofy stunts in 2021 to divert the desolate minds from the aftereffects of the global pandemic. But Volkswagen’s stunt matured even before it could reach April Fool’s day.
The German Automaker’s unveiling to change the name of US Operations turned out to be a publicity stunt in the spirit of April Fool’s Day.
“We might be changing out our K for a T, but what we aren’t changing is this brand’s commitment to making best-in-class vehicles for drivers and people elsewhere”- said Scott Keogh, President, and CEO of Volkswagen of America in a recent press release. The draft version of the press release was accidentally published on the company’s website on March 29, and from then on, it all started.
The (absolutely) pun intended statement aroused a great deal of commotion and news companies quickly took up the matter to their sleeves.
The American Twitter handle of the corporation changed its name to Voltswagen in the morning of March 30 that got the media outlets (and the online community) to scratch their heads, to decipher whether it is really happening.
Source: The Verge
On the very same day, the parent company revealed the statement to be a ‘joke’ designed to garner consumer attention towards their commitment to electric vehicles.
“There will be no renaming of Volkswagen of America,”- said the Volkswagen Spokesman Mark Gillies, on March 30.
Gillies further mentioned that the renaming was designed to captivate public attention towards the launch of the all-electric ID.4 SUV and signal their commitment towards bringing electric mobility to all.
Why Voltswagen? A “volt” is a standard unit of potential difference used to measure how strongly an electric current is sent around an electrical system. So, Voltswagen = Electricity. Getting it?
The move faced backlash on social media and was criticized by experts who stated that such humor actually undermines the commitment towards electric automobiles and termed the entire incident to be “stupid” and “incredibly immature”. While some investors responded positively and the shares of VW jumped by 5% in the U.S. But was the stunt reasonable or not we shall leave it to your imagination.
