Voltswagen, or the fine line between stupid and clever

The Internet broadly and social media in particular puts a premium on clever, and that’s not always a good thing. In the race to be the most clever person or brand out there, we often do or say things that are mean, offensive, or just plain stupid. Witness Volkswagen’s recent rebranding stunt, claiming it was going to change its name to “Voltswagen” as a result of its push into electric vehicles.

I found myself in a debate in a marketing group on Facebook over the efficacy of April Fools’ Day stunts by brands. Look, I get it: Marketing isn’t just about driving sales. Your brand should have a personality, a voice — but it must be authentic. You don’t wake up on April Fools’ Day, or any other day, and decide you are going to win the news cycle or go viral by making a clever joke, and think it is going to have any value in the long run. It’s going to backfire, and it’s going to be messy. After all, it had been quite some time since I had given any thought to Volkswagen’s efforts to game its fuel efficiency standards. But the Voltswagen gimmick made it top of mind once again.

So Volkswagen, I have to ask…