Question first: Do you prefer advertisements to be artistic and creative, or to be informative?
I used to think advertisements like the one above were worthless to me the consumer, because it doesn't tell me important information about the product. The more I think about it though, I think I prefer artistic advertisements over their informative counterparts.
The above Polo ad accomplishes two things: it's enjoyable to watch, and it effectively conveys a core message. Buying a car is a decision which involves a lot of detail - far more than can be conveyed in 30 seconds - and that's one reason I think informative ads may be overrated. On the other hand, this ad makes me curious about the Polo's safety features, but allows me to discover the rest of the details myself. In fact, I think it's rather unobtrusive: it doesn't try to convince me, it just raises my awareness so that I can go out and make my own decision.
So what do you think? Do you miss the days when advertisements were made by artistic-minded people who, for whatever reason, found themselves in the advertising business? Do you like the current model, where cute talking Gecko's babble on about the basic details of auto insurance despite the fact far more information is required to make an informed decision? Or, do you yearn for the unpolished ads of the 60s: barebones, informative, and generally lacking in creativity?