Does Shock Sell?

May 12, 2006 — -- New Volkswagen Jetta commercials featuring young professionals who get into car collisions and come out unscathed have consumers and ad executives looking twice.

The implied message is clear: Jettas are safe.

What's less clear is the disclaimer buried at the end of the ad. In small print, Volkswagen says it can't guarantee consumers will be as lucky as its commercial's characters, stating, "All crashes are different and severe injuries can occur. Air bags do not deploy in all accidents."

Advocates for highway safety worry the ads could carry a misleading tone.

"I think the ad probably should have been a little bit more clear about the fact that not every crash is the same and that you're not necessarily going to walk away from every crash just because you have safety systems," said Judie Stone of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

The Volkswagen ad is one in a series of what some call "shock" ads.

Anti-smoking ads are becoming increasingly graphic, and some cereal commercials are playing on people's fears as well.

"They're looking for buzz. They're looking for media coverage," said Jonah Bloom, editor at Advertising Age. "And if you get it, yeah, it certainly works to raise awareness of your brand."

Some of history's most jarring ads still resonate more than a decade after they first aired. Remember "This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs"?

Volkswagen said in a written statement that the ads were not created for shock value.

"We chose to show a very real situation to depict safety in a way that has not been attempted by other automotive manufacturers," the statement said.

Whatever the intention, numbers suggest the new ads are working. After a disastrous 2005, sales are up by 20 percent this year.

ABC's David Muir reported this story for "Good Morning America."