<p>Car giant Volkswagen said Wednesday it was sorry for a publicity stunt that duped major media outlets and was criticised by AFP news agency as a "breach of trust".</p>.<p>The outrage came after Volkswagen just a day earlier said in a press release it would be changing the name of its US subsidiary to "Voltswagen" to highlight its shift towards electric cars.</p>.<p>The announcement raised eyebrows but company spokespeople insisted it was genuine, resulting in widespread media coverage before VW eventually revealed the rebrand was a joke dreamt up by its marketing team.</p>.<p>In a statement sent to AFP, Volkswagen of America said its marketing campaign had sought to draw attention to VW's e-offensive "in a fun and interesting way" as "an April Fool's Day effort".</p>.<p>"The many positive responses on social media showed that this campaign resonated with consumers," it said.</p>.<p>"At the same time, we realise the announcement rollout upset some people and we are sorry about any confusion this has caused."</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/volkswagen-us-spokesman-confirms-voltswagen-rebrand-a-joke-968533.html" target="_blank">Volkswagen US spokesman confirms 'Voltswagen' rebrand a joke</a></strong></p>.<p>Reporters reacted angrily to the stunt, with some saying it was tone-deaf coming from a company still recovering from the 2015 "dieselgate" scandal, when the German automaker was forced to admit it had for years used cheating software in cars to skirt emissions tests.</p>.<p>Phil Chetwynd, global news director of AFP, wrote to Volkswagen Group to protest against the deception.</p>.<p>"We understand when a spokesperson is not in a position to confirm or comment on a piece of information. But we never expect them to make false statements," he wrote.</p>.<p>"We strongly think serious journalists and news outlets should not be used by companies like Volkswagen for marketing and advertising purposes. For us it is a very grave breach of trust which must not be repeated."</p>.<p>USA Today business reporter Nathan Bomey also voiced anger, accusing VW of lying to reporters.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/volkswagen-seeks-damages-from-ex-ceos-over-dieselgate-scandal-966843.html" target="_blank">Volkswagen seeks damages from ex-CEOs over Dieselgate scandal</a></strong></p>.<p>"This was not a joke. It was deception. In case you hadn't noticed, we have a misinformation problem in this country. Now you're part of it. Why should anyone trust you again?" he tweeted.</p>.<p>Shares in the VW group climbed nearly five per cent in Frankfurt on Tuesday on the "Voltswagen" announcement. On Wednesday, VW stock closed 0.8 per cent lower.</p>
<p>Car giant Volkswagen said Wednesday it was sorry for a publicity stunt that duped major media outlets and was criticised by AFP news agency as a "breach of trust".</p>.<p>The outrage came after Volkswagen just a day earlier said in a press release it would be changing the name of its US subsidiary to "Voltswagen" to highlight its shift towards electric cars.</p>.<p>The announcement raised eyebrows but company spokespeople insisted it was genuine, resulting in widespread media coverage before VW eventually revealed the rebrand was a joke dreamt up by its marketing team.</p>.<p>In a statement sent to AFP, Volkswagen of America said its marketing campaign had sought to draw attention to VW's e-offensive "in a fun and interesting way" as "an April Fool's Day effort".</p>.<p>"The many positive responses on social media showed that this campaign resonated with consumers," it said.</p>.<p>"At the same time, we realise the announcement rollout upset some people and we are sorry about any confusion this has caused."</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/volkswagen-us-spokesman-confirms-voltswagen-rebrand-a-joke-968533.html" target="_blank">Volkswagen US spokesman confirms 'Voltswagen' rebrand a joke</a></strong></p>.<p>Reporters reacted angrily to the stunt, with some saying it was tone-deaf coming from a company still recovering from the 2015 "dieselgate" scandal, when the German automaker was forced to admit it had for years used cheating software in cars to skirt emissions tests.</p>.<p>Phil Chetwynd, global news director of AFP, wrote to Volkswagen Group to protest against the deception.</p>.<p>"We understand when a spokesperson is not in a position to confirm or comment on a piece of information. But we never expect them to make false statements," he wrote.</p>.<p>"We strongly think serious journalists and news outlets should not be used by companies like Volkswagen for marketing and advertising purposes. For us it is a very grave breach of trust which must not be repeated."</p>.<p>USA Today business reporter Nathan Bomey also voiced anger, accusing VW of lying to reporters.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/volkswagen-seeks-damages-from-ex-ceos-over-dieselgate-scandal-966843.html" target="_blank">Volkswagen seeks damages from ex-CEOs over Dieselgate scandal</a></strong></p>.<p>"This was not a joke. It was deception. In case you hadn't noticed, we have a misinformation problem in this country. Now you're part of it. Why should anyone trust you again?" he tweeted.</p>.<p>Shares in the VW group climbed nearly five per cent in Frankfurt on Tuesday on the "Voltswagen" announcement. On Wednesday, VW stock closed 0.8 per cent lower.</p>