Lemon.

Brand

Volkswagen

Copywriter

Julian Koenig

Agency

Doyle Dane Bernbach

Year

1960

Country

USA

Black-and-white print ad by Doyle Dane Bernbach (art director Helmut Krone) showing a Beetle rejected by Volkswagen inspector Kurt Kroner over a minor blemish. Volkswagen's own heritage archive dates it to 1960; the copy refers to Volkswagen's quality checkpoints and ends 'We pluck the lemons; you get the plums.'