Volkswagen's 1950s "Think Small" campaign called the Beetle ugly and tiny, using self-deprecating humor to make it relatable. The pratfall effect—people like you more when you admit flaws—helped VW climb from obscurity to selling 350,000 units.
This brand dared to call their product ugly and in the process grew 175 times over. In the 1950s, VW was virtually unknown in the U.S. Small and unassuming, the VW Beetle stood in stark contrast to the big gas guzzlers Americans had grown to love. So the ad agency leaned into this perceived weakness and made it a positive, doing ads calling it ugly and highlighting how tiny it was. Why'd it work? The Think Small campaign used the pratfall effect, a psychological principle wherein people are more likable when they make mistakes or appear vulnerable. By depicting the Beetle small and unassuming, the self-deprecating humor made it more relatable and likable to consumers. And it was an overwhelming success, making VW a major player in the US auto market and going from nearly 200,000 to 350,000 sales in the coming decades.
