The Infamous Ad That Asked: "I Think I'll Keep Her?"

You might remember a certain phrase from an old advertisement that caused quite a stir: “I think I’ll keep her.” This line, attached to a seemingly simple car ad, sparked a significant debate. We’ll explore the full story behind this memorable Volkswagen campaign, why it caused an uproar, and what it tells us about advertising and society.

The Ad That Drove the Controversy

In 1969, the world-renowned advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) created a print ad for the Volkswagen Beetle. DDB was famous for its clever, witty, and often self-deprecating campaigns for VW, including the legendary “Think Small” and “Lemon” ads. This particular ad, however, struck a different chord.

The ad featured a clean, straightforward image of a new Volkswagen Beetle. The headline, in bold text, read: “I think I’ll keep her.”

The body text of the ad went on to explain the reasoning, comparing the car’s reliability and low-maintenance nature to a demanding human partner. It highlighted how the VW wouldn’t ask for expensive things, wouldn’t be a hassle, and would always be dependable. The text was meant to be a humorous take on the car’s practical virtues, framing it as the perfect, uncomplicated companion. The core message was simple: a Volkswagen is a smart, lasting investment that won’t let you down.

Understanding the Uproar: Context is Everything

While the ad’s creators at DDB likely intended it as a piece of lighthearted humor, the public reception was anything but. To understand why this ad generated such controversy, we have to look at the cultural climate of the late 1960s.

The year 1969 was a period of immense social and cultural change in the United States and around the world. A key part of this transformation was the rise of second-wave feminism. This powerful movement was actively challenging traditional gender roles, questioning patriarchal structures, and fighting against the objectification of women in society and the media.

It was into this charged atmosphere that Volkswagen released its ad. The campaign’s central flaws, according to its critics, were:

• Objectification: The ad explicitly personifies the car as a woman (“her”) and then discusses “keeping her” as if she were a possession or a pet. This language reduced women to objects that could be owned and evaluated based on their utility and lack of demands.
• Patronizing Tone: The comparison implied that women were inherently high-maintenance, demanding, and less reliable than a machine. This reinforced negative stereotypes that feminists were actively working to dismantle.
• Sexist Undertones: By framing the car as an ideal, low-fuss “her,” the ad played into the idea that a woman’s value was tied to how little trouble she caused for a man.

What the ad agency saw as a clever comparison, a growing and vocal segment of the public saw as blatant sexism. It was a classic case of an ad failing to read the room, underestimating the powerful social shifts that were reshaping public consciousness. The “uproar” came from women and men who were tired of seeing women portrayed in such a one-dimensional and demeaning way.

A Legacy in Advertising

The “I think I’ll keep her” ad has since become a famous case study in marketing and advertising courses. It serves as a powerful reminder that advertisements don’t exist in a vacuum. They are cultural artifacts that reflect, and are judged by, the values and attitudes of their time. The campaign is a cautionary tale about the risks of using humor that relies on outdated or harmful stereotypes.

Volkswagen and DDB learned from the experience and continued to produce groundbreaking work. But this particular ad remains a snapshot of a pivotal moment in cultural history, capturing the tension between old-school advertising tropes and a new era of social awareness.

Other Ads That Stirred Controversy

The Volkswagen ad was far from the only one to cause a public outcry. Over the years, many brands have pushed the envelope, sometimes successfully and other times with disastrous results.

• Calvin Klein’s 1980 “Jeans” Ad: This campaign featured a 15-year-old Brooke Shields provocatively asking, “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” The line was widely seen as sexually suggestive and inappropriate for a model of her age, leading to several TV stations banning the commercial.
• Benetton’s “Unhate” Campaign (2011): Known for its provocative advertising, the United Colors of Benetton created a series of digitally manipulated images showing world leaders kissing. One image depicting Pope Benedict XVI kissing a prominent Egyptian imam caused such an immediate and intense backlash that the company quickly withdrew it.
• Pepsi’s 2017 “Live for Now” Ad: This infamous commercial starred Kendall Jenner and depicted her leaving a photoshoot to join a protest. She then de-escalates tension by handing a police officer a can of Pepsi. The ad was immediately and widely condemned for trivializing and co-opting serious social justice movements, particularly Black Lives Matter. Pepsi pulled the ad and issued an apology within a day.

These examples, along with the Volkswagen ad, show how advertising can become a flashpoint for cultural debate, reflecting our evolving ideas about gender, politics, and social justice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the immediate result of the Volkswagen ad’s controversy? While it generated significant negative press and criticism, the ad didn’t sink the company. It did, however, force Volkswagen and its ad agency to be more conscious of the changing social landscape. It became a lesson in the importance of cultural sensitivity in mass media.

Who was the advertising agency behind the Volkswagen campaigns? The agency was Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB), which is widely considered one of the most creative and influential advertising agencies of the 20th century. Their work for Volkswagen in the 1960s is often cited as a high point in advertising history, despite this particular misstep.

How have advertising standards changed since the 1960s? Standards have changed dramatically. Today, there is far greater scrutiny on how women, minorities, and other groups are portrayed. While controversial ads still exist, brands are generally much more aware of the potential for backlash from campaigns that are seen as sexist, racist, or insensitive. Consumer power, amplified by social media, means that companies are held accountable for their messaging in ways that were unimaginable in 1969.