As head of New York-based Volkswagen of America from 1959 to 1964, Hahn took a hands-on method to promoting automobiles. He toured the U.S. in a VW bus, utilizing his charisma and wonderful English to show Americans onto “the Volkswagen way,” Andrea Hiott wrote in “Thinking Small: The Long, Strange Trip of the Volkswagen Beetle” (2012). He computerized VW’s workplaces and standardized service to extend effectivity.
Most vital, he introduced VW to Madison Avenue, selecting Doyle Dane Bernbach — which grew to become DDB Worldwide, a part of Omnicom Group — to design what Advertising Age journal referred to as the highest marketing campaign of the twentieth century.
As conceived by artwork director Helmut Krone and copywriter Julian Koenig, the plan included the unconventional print adverts “Think Small,” celebrating the compact measurement of the Beetle, and “Lemon,” specializing in high quality management.
At a time when U.S. automakers had been working “stupid advertising” specializing in the ever-changing appears to be like of their automobiles, VW and DDB offered “our philosophy of a automotive that doesn’t change for the rationale of change, just for the good thing about the buyer,” Hahn stated in a 2011 discuss on the University of California-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
Marketing abilities
Hahn’s advertising and marketing abilities helped the Beetle change into the best-selling single automotive mannequin in historical past, with greater than 21.5 million produced between 1945 and 2003.
Though commissioned and envisioned by Adolf Hitler, the Beetle was embraced by America, the place it impressed artists, transported hippies and starred as Herbie within the Disney film franchise that started with “The Love Bug” (1968).
Hahn returned to VW headquarters in Wolfsburg following his election to Volkswagen’s governing board in 1964 and led the gross sales division. He misplaced his seat in a shakeup that took impact in 1973 and left VW to steer Continental Gummi-Werke, Germany’s largest rubber firm, a forerunner of Hanover, Germany-based Continental.
In 1982, VW introduced Hahn again as chairman and CEO following the resignation of Toni Schmucker.
During Hahn’s tenure, VW grew to become the No. 1 automaker in Europe, opened new crops in China and Eastern Europe, acquired the Spanish automotive firm Seat, and launched new variations of its Golf mannequin, recognized within the U.S. because the Rabbit.
Source: europe.autonews.com