Volkswagen calls on ute lovers to uncover real power in new Amarok V6 work via DDB Sydney
Volkswagen and DDB Sydney have created a Mad Max style prototype, breaking all boundaries in traditional ute advertising.
The Amarok V6 is the most powerful ute in its class and the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles team tasked DDB Sydney to create a campaign that brought the ‘fun’ back into driving a 4×4 ute and at the same time challenge some flawed perceptions around the Volkswagen Amarok.
The resulting campaign saw the creation of a powerful, off road performance vehicle, the ‘Korama’, that looked like it belonged in the Dakar Rally, but actually hid a full production Amarok V6 model underneath.
Marketing manager Ralph Beckmann said following the success of the ‘Naked Ute’, the campaign DDB Sydney created for Volkswagen earlier in 2016, they briefed the agency to continue to disrupt the ute category and get rid of Amarok’s old image for good.
Says Beckmann: “We couldn’t be happier with the campaign, it has everything we wanted – a great demonstration of power, real Australians enjoying the Amarok and a big surprise at the end.”
DDB Sydney chief creative officer Ben Welsh said it was one of the most ambitious projects he’d ever worked on.
Says Welsh: “It took trust and collaboration to turn a great idea into an amazing experience. And it all started when our client came back from a test drive with their hearts still pounding.”
The campaign was created in partnership with Will O’Rourke/The Glue Society – the team who also worked on ‘The Naked Ute’. The first step was to design and build the Korama, without compromising on the performance of the vehicle. Initial sketches were created by the designer behind the Mad Max vehicles in ‘Fury Road’, a model was made and then it was straight into construction.
Four motoring enthusiasts who fancied that they knew a bit about power were recruited to give the manufacturer feedback before the truth was revealed.
The campaign kicked off with a launch film laying out the story through social channels, supported by some digital work, outdoor and print. TVCs will follow in the second phase of the campaign, which will be rolled out in early 2017.
The campaign has recently commenced via Facebook and Youtube.
Client – Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles
Marketing Manager – Ralph Beckmann
Product Marketing Manager – Nick Reid
Retail and Digital Communications Manager – Nathan Johnson
Agency – DDB Sydney
Chief Creative Officer – Ben Welsh
Creative Partner – Vincent Osmond
Creative Partner – Jade Manning
Senior Art Director – Ronojoy Ghosh
Senior Art Director – Richard Apps
Senior Writer – Jeff Galbraith
Senior Writer – Richard Taylor
Creative Technology Director – Shaun O’Connor
Managing Partner – Amanda Wheeler
Business Director – Astrid Noble
Business Manager – Madeleine King
Chief Strategy Officer – Fran Clayton
Head of Integrated Content – Sevda Cemo
Social Content Producer – Isabella Harris
Social Content Editor – Fraser Kelton
Senior Print Producer – John Wood
Social Comms Manager – Salil Kumar
Social Content Manager – Lachlan Stewart
Head of Technology – Sean Gardner
Digital Producers – Dan Mulligan, Will Kerr
Production Company – Will O’Rourke
Car Design and Project Directors – The Glue Society’s Jonathan Kneebone, Luke Nuto
Managing Director/EP – Michael Ritchie
EP/Head of Projects – Josh Mullens
Producer – Ian Iveson
Post Producer – Jasmin Helliar
Production Designer – Enzo Iacono
DOP – Peter Eastgate
Camera Operator – Jordan Maddocks
Behind the Scenes – Will Robertson
Post Production – The Glue Society
Editor – The Glue Society’s Luke Crethar
Colourist – Scott McLean
VFX/Online – Viv Baker
Studio Producer – Scott Stirling
Sound – Rumble Studios
Sound Engineer – Nathanial Joyce
Executive Producer – Michael Gie
Composition – Rumble Studios
Photography – Janyon Boshoff
Retouching – Limehouse Creative
Media – Mediacom
21 Comments
Another great VW job. Congrats to everyone involved at DDB.
The Naked Ute was a great idea. This is an average one, at best.
Ben, we need you back
How many more “OH MY GOD I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S ACTUALLY THIS CAR” executions do we have to endure? It simply reinforces the perception that a car/brand was and probably might still be shitty.
CC Holden.
Really excellent. The Idea as well as it’s execution = awesome.
You Shyamalaned them good. I haven’t seen a twist like that since that Bruce Willis film where you find out he’s dead on the inside – A Good Day to Die Hard.
On a side note, where can I pick up that fake chassis? My car is a few bolts short of a Jamaican 4x100m and, like most things in my life, I could use a facade to hide the real problems.
This old chestnut?
God loves us – this is only as good as the shite I turn out week in, week out.
Despite the influence of the Glue Guys (how embarassing for DDB to have another agency write this – Bill would be turning in his grave) it’s as improbable a script as the guy who gets given a free Holden and then tries to look surprised.
Naturally, Groucho will have a counter-view – he’s the best creative in the world.
Just ask him.
You don’t need a new facade – you’re in advertising.
Pretty good. I see they’ve re-cut the ‘reveal’ in the middle because the CGI wasn’t very convincing, but overall this works well.
I get where they’re going with this, and there is some nice stuff in there. The sweet spot for me is if non car people feel it, I’m not a car person and I don’t feel anything. I understand one person isn’t a great metric but I still think it falls short.
I want one.
Which I guess is the point.
That Korama looks pretty boss. My favourite bit was when it was still a Korama and they were fanging it through the bush. Before it turned into a ute. That fun car’s where it’s at for me. It’s like something from Mad Max, but with cow print dazzle camouflage.
Would Mad Max have been belting around in an Amarok? Unlikely. Probably would have just made him madder, with its smug little euro-ute lines. Madder Max. But pop him in one of these dusty black and white numbers and all of a sudden watch out bad guys, because youse are all fucked. But were they even bad guys? It’s hard to know.
You could argue they were just born into an established system and never had a chance to exercise free will. Although, if Westworld has taught us anything it’s that free will is a joke. On that, it has to be said there were a few more twists and turns in that violent little thoughtpiece than in this spot. It is a tried and tested formula.
But maybe the reveal’s not the point. Maybe it’s just about watching some loveable boofheads fanging around the bush and getting to see their little faces when they see it’s a VW. They’re cool with it. Job done.
but still shit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtc5p4yOC4s
Ok so its not the worst thing out there but am I meant to buy into a performance enthusiast not knowing they are driving a ute?
Some nice bits to this piece but I think we can move on from the reveal now.
It’s just the same idea as Naked Ute in reverse though isn’t it.
Big reveal, unexpected outcome.
Been done, doesn’t have the same power to surprise.
I think there might have been a better V6 demo idea if they had ventured further
The only reason you pussies don’t think this is a good ad is cos you couldn’t handle the power of a V6, nor know what V6 means, nor have a car and catch the Loser Cruiser to work every day.
You must have worked on that campaign because absolutely nobody else would have ever remembered it.
Nobody.
Genuinely funny.
I’m gagging for a Korama too. Even the name is amazing.
Looks sick!! Finally a prototype that’s real and not just an award video animation.
I’d buy it if it looked like the prototype and didn’t look like the ute.
Agree. Prototype cool. Undressed just more crap on the road