VDub
As part of a 2006 advertising campaign, Volkswagen created a series of television commercials staring Swedish actor Peter Stormare as a German engineer and hip-hop personality named VDub. The ads were created as a parody of MTV's Pimp My Ride starring rapper Xzibit.
The commercials began airing in late February, 2006. Prior to the full launch of the TV campaign, the three 30-second spots became something of an Internet Phenomenon when popular automotive news website Leftlane News uploaded the ads to video distribution service YouTube. As of early March, 2006, the ads had received nearly two million views on YouTube in one week.
Premise
Throughout the commercials, VDub appears with his blonde assistant, a guest, and the guest's pimped-out vehicle. After insulting the automobile, VDub "un-pimps the auto" by destroying it and replacing it with a 2006 Volkswagen GTI to the surprise of his guest. The destruction takes various forms, including: hitting it with a wrecking ball, dropping a container on it, and throwing it from a gas-powered trebuchet-like device.
At the end of the ads, VDub flashes a hand sign to create the letters V and W in the same orientation as found in the Volkswagen logo. The hand sign is an imitation of the gang signs popularized by hip-hop culture.
Famous Taglines
VDub's commercials often contain a catchy tagline, including:
"We just dropped it like it's hot!"
"Oh Snap!"
"German Engineering in da house, ja"
"Holdin' it down on the engineering tip, y'all, ja"
"Representin' Deutchland"