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The advertisement hasn't aired on television yet, but it's already drawing criticism as Volkswagen's new advertisement has drawn calls of racism, according to Mae Anderson of the Associated Press.
In the 63-second advertisement, already released in full on the Internet, a white man that says he's from Minnesota creates confusion in an office setting through his use of a Jamaican accent. It is later explained in the ad that he is expressing the happiness that comes with driving a Volkswagen through the accent. Other passengers in the car begin using the same accent.
Here is the commercial in full:
The advertisement plays into the stereotype of the happy-go-lucky nature of the Rastafari movement that is most commonly associated with the country of Jamaica. However, it's not a particularly offensive stereotype.
Volkswagen has had back-to-back successful years when it comes to Super Bowl commercials, sticking to Star Wars themed ads in both and drawing strong reviews for both. The 2013 commercial is scheduled to debut on Sunday during Super Bowl XLVII.