People Outside generally characterize Alaska as more wild and rustic than it is, photographing bearded men in filthy Carhartts, yards piled high with junk, dirt roads that are sprinkled with potholes. None of these depictions are inaccurate, but they are definitely unbalanced. Today I've learned that Volkswagen chooses to portray Fairbanks like this:
Oooooohkay, Volkswagen. Clean, well-maintained streets; a charming, derelict-free downtown; clean, fresh-scrubbed young 'uns who sleep in makeup (?!?); giant deciduous trees; a lone caribou...? I'm told that the ad was shot in Vallejo, California, and I appreciate that they found a "Noble" street in Vallejo. I have to admit, I'm a little touched that for the first time I can recall, we are being portrayed as more civilized than we are!
Also, I sincerely hope that they left that sign, "Welcome to Fairbanks, Alaska" on some highway in California!
The Minor News, Alaska Dispatch, and the screamingly funny Mudflats also both offered commentary on this commercial:
Volkswagen takes a ride in the Land of the Midnight Somewhere Else
VW Takes Road Trip to Fake Fairbanks
Faux Fairbanks appears in new Volkswagen Beetle ad
1 comment:
My thought is more like where they found that reindeer or was it done by high-tech method.
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