The iconic Volkswagen Beetle displaced the Ford Model-T as the best-selling car model on earth on this day in 1972. The car had first arrived in the U.S. in the 1950s but struggled initially, partly due to its novel shape and small size. A large part of the sales trouble, though, came from the car's origins in Nazi Germany. To turn their fortunes around, Volkswagen would run what is still considered one of the most effective advertising campaigns in history.
The car's design dated back to 1925, but its development really occurred in the 1930s when Ferdinand Porsche (yes, that Porsche) took up the concept in response to a call from Adolf Hitler for the creation of a "people's car." Production started after the war, and its popularity grew quickly, with the millionth Beetle being manufactured in 1955. In the U.S., though, its history and stark differences from American automobiles stunted its popularity.
In 1960, the carmaker hired ad agency Doyle Dane Bernbach to help turn the car's unusual traits into selling points. Using visually striking, minimalistic images and simple, punchy slogans as part of its "Think Small" campaign, the firm highlighted the fuel efficiency and affordability of the car.
In 1972, Volkswagen produced its 15,007,034th Beetle, overtaking the Model-T as the best-selling car. In 1998, Volkswagen introduced the New Beetle; the original model would cease production five years later.
