If you need to create an Instagram account for a brand, for the French market, the logic is to use the brand + the country. So, if the brand is Volkswagen and the country is France, it will be Volkswagen France. And if it’s in Italy, it will be Volkswagen Italia. Logic !
A hidden word in the identifier
So far so good. Now, if you need to choose a username or username (with the at sign), you could opt for “@volkswagenitalia”. It’s instinctive, and it’s precisely the identifier that the German brand has chosen for its Instagram account in Italy.
The problem is that in the absence of a separator (like a period between the two words) in the identifier, some Internet users read something else, instead of “Volkswagen Italia”.
volkswagen italia
volkswa genitalia pic.twitter.com/XL5omOULvz—paige leskin (@paigeleskin) December 1, 2022
Just for information, in English, “Genitalia” refers to the genitals. The word is also used in French, to define genital parts in insects (according to Universalis).
Will Volkswagen change its identifier?
Surprisingly, the Instagram account has been around for a long time. But this one went viral after a post asking Volkswagen not to change the handle on Instagram. The tweet has been shared almost 30,000 times, and liked almost 300,000 times, as of this writing. The publication was also relayed by a few media, including the New York Post and Creative Bloq.
Volkswagen Italy, please never change your Instagram handle. pic.twitter.com/BD2efn63za
— Mick (@mikjcal) November 28, 2022
The word hidden in the identifier of the Instagram account amuses a good number of twittos. But there are also those who point the finger at people’s lack of maturity, like this account which writes: “Because some of you are 12, a social media manager in Milan or Naples has to wake up in the middle of the night to work.”
Because some of you are 12, some social media manager in Milan or Naples got to wake up in the middle of the night to work https://t.co/I7nxcaAUHr
— the kaki🧃stocrat (him/he/eh/oi) (@illeagleforce) November 29, 2022
Can Volkswagen change this name?
Otherwise, it should be noted that changing this name, to put an end to the mockery, would be quite complicated. Indeed, the Instagram account of Volkswagen in Italy is already verified.
However, according to a help page of the social network: “After verifying your account, you will not be able to change the username on your account.”
An incident reminiscent of Susan Boyle’s hashtag
Others recalled previous social media gems, including Susan Boyle’s 2012 album launch hashtag. The hashtag was #Susanalbumparty, and it truly went down in history.
Might have to give #susanalbumparty a skip, since I’m going to get my German car in Italy 🥰 pic.twitter.com/uD6di3jBOt
— Bryan (@TranquilBigfoot) November 30, 2022
