Illustrated campaign for Volkswagen uses parents lying to children as a metaphor

We’ve all told lies, or at least tinkered with the truth either for our own sake or for someone else’s. A new tongue-in-cheek print campaign for Volkswagen’s used cars sees parents’ white lies recast as a metaphor for untrustworthy sellers. “If they lie to their kids, what will they tell you when they sell you their car?” the adverts read. The simple blue and red visuals show parents and children in varying situations, lying about a dead fish, a particularly ugly drawing or a ridiculous hat. “It’s not ugly, it’s called fashion,” a mother says, shoving a bobble hat on her unwitting son’s little head.

The illustrations come courtesy of established Parisian illustrator Tom Haugomat, who mostly works across editorial and advertising, counting Protein, The Times and French department store Printemps as clients. An alumnus of the Gobelins school of visual communication, Tom left behind a career in animation for stripped-back illustration, favouring a minimal palette as in the mostly two-tone imagery he has created for Volkswagen. Initially a print campaign for French newspapers, the images are now also being printed as poster adverts and winning examples of strong advertising that says more with less.