Volkswagen, Playboy Join Forces

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Kerri Martin, director of brand innovation for Volkswagen of America, knows how to get the attention of young males.

Martin has engineered a unique and rather playful advertising tie-in with an unusual partner: Playboy. The magazine's September issue, which is just reaching newsstands, features a VW ad on the back cover which is a mirror image of the front — complete with Playboy bunnies and, of course, the well-known VW Rabbit logo.

The logo appears to be tattooed on the lower back of scantily clad cover model Holly Madison. She and colleagues Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson star in E! Entertainment's "reality" TV series The Girls Next Door, which purports to provide viewers with a real-life glimpse at three residents of the Playboy Mansion.

With the return of the Rabbit brand name to VW's North American lineup, "the Playboy opportunity was a great chance to unite two famous and iconic brands," Martin said.

What this means to you: We're not sure how effective VW's marketing strategy is going to be, but merely wonder if the new Rabbit/Playboy connection may turn off some potential female customers.

Source: Inside Line