Horsing around proves viral hit

A herd of horses in hysterics as they watch a driver struggle to reverse park with a trailer proved a surprise hit for Volkswagen 10 years ago.

The advert for the Volkswagen Tiguan and its new trailer-assist feature was initially designed only for the German market but went on to amuse millions of people worldwide.

First screened in 2016, the campaign shows a number of horses all laughing uncontrollably in their paddock and stables as they watch a driver grappling with backing a horse float into a parking spot.

As the animals are still trying to catch their breath another car with a trailer arrives and smoothly reverses into the space, leaving the creatures stunned into silence.

Originally planned as a regular TV advert in Germany, the laughing horses created by agency Grabarz & Partner became an online phenomenon and received nine million clicks in the first 72 hours and eventually attracted more than 40 million views worldwide. 

As a result, Volkswagen markets globally adapted the campaign for TV, trade fairs and major events.

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