Ever wonder who came up with the “Punch Buggy” game?  You know the one that makes someone punch the nearest person after seeing a VW. Well Volkswagen has finally answered this age-old question: he goes by the name Sluggy Patterson. Sluggy invented the game 50 years ago after punching a friend while on a road trip. He tells us in his interviews about how the game began, the number of people he’s punched, and his blog and Twitter account.  Yes, even Sluggy has a Twitter account and a blog (or a “Tweeter” and “blob” as he refers to them).  He even answers questions that people post to him.

Sluggy (or at least his game) will be the featured in this Sunday’s advertising extravaganza, also known as the Super Bowl.  So what’s VW trying to get at by introducing us to this new character?  (Trust me he’s a character!)  Volkswagen would like to double their sales by the next year and are going about it by updating their advertising.

With a new agency, Deutsch/LA, they have cast aside Max, the lovable black vintage Bug, to peruse other routes with the “Das Auto” tagline. Volkswagen is trying to update the “Punch Buggy” game to be a “Punch Dub” game. This change is due to the fact VW would like their name to once again be considered a pop-culture icon. This means that every Jetta, Rabbit, Passat, and yes even the nostalgic Bug, are fair game for a punch to the arm.

After this Sunday’s ad, get ready for the real game to begin.