Funny or too far? VW launches racy new ad campaign

Have you seen the new Volkswagen commercial?

That was the question my husband asked me as he glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, looking straight ahead. Poker faced.

I hadn’t seen it, and I asked him what it was about. Evading, he said: “The 2018 Atlas.”

OK? Why was this worthy of him bringing it to my attention? I knew I was missing something, but I wasn’t sure what it was.

Then I saw the commercial on TV during one of the basketball games this past weekend, and I was stuck somewhere between shock and hilarious laughter.

If you seek it out on YouTube (above), you can see the title of the 60-second spot is “Luv Bug.” And that alone is pretty telling.

It opens with a blue Beetle bouncing on an overlook complete with steamy windows. In the next scene, a couple is at the VW dealership returning the Beetle and upgrading to a Jetta – with a newborn baby in hand.

With "The Birds and The Bees" song playing in the background, the commercial cycles through similar scenes in the Jetta and a Tiguan, with the last scene ending in the all-new 7-passenger Atlas and the tagline: Life’s as big as you make it.

Let that sink in a moment. Volkswagen just made a commercial about car sex. Adult humor, for sure, and maybe it will be lost on the little ones who catch it on TV.

Personally, I think the spot is clever. But I’d hate to be the parent watching the commercial with a curious kid.

Then again, VW could likely do with a little humor and a potentially viral video to help people forget – or overlook – the ongoing Dieselgate scandal.