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Flying Volkswagen engineers shoot rainbows out of their ass in new Super Bowl ad!

By Mel Peck

January 30, 2014 | 5 min read

Video trending data curated by the VAN team.

Top trending viral ad campaigns:

As the Super Bowl draws closer, brands have begun ramping up their marketing efforts. The past few weeks have seen a barrage of teaser trailers sweeping across the Viral Chart. Now, with just a few days to go until the action kicks off, the big ad players have started to show their cards and from what we’ve seen so far, they’re a bit of a mixed hand.Volkswagen is usually a pretty key player in the Super Bowl ad scene. Over the past few weeks the brand has released a series of 6 game day teasers, featuring teams of German scientists attempting to develop an algorithm for the perfect Super Bowl commercial. So as promised, we were expecting some kind of elaborate video concoction packed full of puppies, babies, supermodels and various other traditional viral clichés. However, what we were met with when Volkswagen unveiled its official ad earlier this week was somewhat less dramatic then we were anticipating.The spot opens with a father trying to explain to his skeptical daughter why he’s so excited that his car just clocked up 100,000 miles. Apparently, every time a vehicle hits that magic number, somewhere in the world a German engineer gets his wings. Cut to the inside of a car factory, where workers suddenly start sprouting feathered appendages left, right and centre.

It’s quite a fun ad with a nice playful addition at the end when the man’s daughter asks if the engineers will start shooting rainbows out of their ass when a car reaches 200,000 miles. However, in terms of conversation triggers i'm not sure it has quite the right mix of viral ingredients to top some of Volksgagen's previous big hits. According to an interview with a VW spokesperson in Adweek however, the brand may still have a few more tricks up its sleeve. The winged engineers are set to appear in additional game-day videos across the brand’s social channels and offer live responses as the game develops. They’ll also lead a YouTube homepage takeover the day after the game, remixing the "Wings" commercial with cat and baby memes from around the Web. Sounds like the best is yet to come!Another brand to reveal its 2014 Game Day commercial is Oikos Yogurt, (which entered the chart just ahead of Volkswagen this week). The ad follows on from a teaser trailer featuring the crew from old school American sitcom, Full House. It takes a pretty similar format to the brand’s 2012 Super Bowl spot; a guy getting a bit flirty with his ladyfriend while eating some yogurt. The only real difference is that this year it features the show’s star, John Stamos, with brief cameos from Bob Saget and Dave Coulier who pop in at the end to spoil all the sexy fun.

Elsewhere in the listings, Audi’s Super Bowl ad follows on from its bizarre Dog Show teaser, introducing a terrifying new species of animal. What would happen if you mixed a Doberman with a Chihuahua? The answer is bad, BAD things! Plus, Kia has also launched an amusing parody take on The Matrix, with Morpheus taking a young couple on a drive that will change the way they see luxury forever.Whilst we’re on the subject of the Super Bowl, probably my favourite ad by FAR is a spoof teaser from Newcastle Brown Ale parodying all the advertising hype around the event. Although the brand is in no way affiliated with the game, making a point of the fact that it can’t even use the words S**** B***, the video is a trailer for the ad they would have made, if they had a mega, ginormous advertising budget. Check out the brand's dedicated micro-site for a preview of how the ad might have looked. (spoilers - it has sharks, aliens, skateboarding cats and girls in bikinis fighting giant robots through the power of dance!)

Top trending UGC and entertainment videos:

Over in the UGC Chart the football theme continues, with Bad Lip Reading’s second comedy voice over of NFL players shooting to the number one slot with over 15 million views.

Elsewhere, the folk behind popular YouTube channel, Talk Sport, question Chelsea fans about non-existent players in a hilarious interview that’s bound to leave a few people red faced.

Squeak of the Week:

This post wouldn't be complete without a sports themed dose of cute. So here's a video of a cat doing some pretty fly skateboarding moves! (Maybe this little guy can star in the next Newkey Brown ad.)

Join the #KittenCamp Snackz mailing list for weekly updates on top trending videos and follow @JoinVAN for the latest viral gossip and industry news!Mel Peck

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