Volkswagen Australia launches new campaign introducing new Volkswagen up! via DDB Sydney
Volkswagen Australia and DDB Sydney have this week launched a multichannel campaign to introduce the new Volkswagen up! to the Australian market. The campaign is led by a 30″
TVC, ‘Grandpa’, which brings to life the brand proposition that the Volkswagen up! feels nothing like a small car.
In the new spot the consumer is shown the up! through the lens of a grandfather while he is being driven by his grandson. The grandfather experiences everything he loves about a big car in the compact up!. This is supported by a 15″ TVC which highlights Volkswagen’s newest safety feature, City Emergency Breaking.
Says Nick Pringle, creative director at DDB Sydney: “Working on the launch of the up! was a huge opportunity but also a challenge, because small cars have such a negative perception in Australia. The phrase ʻtin can on wheelsʼ springs to mind. Who better to tell our story than a lovable old-timer who believes that heʼs being driven in a big car, such is the quality of the new up!.”
Says Jutta Friese, GM marketing of Volkswagen: “The launch of the Volkswagen up! is our most important product launch for the year as it marks our entry into the sub-light category. The up! sets a new benchmark for this segment in terms of quality, engineering and safety.
“The campaign leverages the solid, reliable and innovative heritage of the Volkswagen brand while establishing a unique personality for the up!. We believe this will help to distinguish the 2012 World Car of the Year from the rest of the sub-light category competitors.”
The TVC will be supported by street furniture, print executions and web banners which will
appear nationally. Additionally a dedicated campaign site has also been launched.
Volkswagen
General Manager, Marketing: Jutta Friese
Brand Communications Manager: Peter Stewart
Advertising Specialist: Loren Elsegood
Executive Creative Director: Dylan Harrison
Creative Directors: Steve Wakelam, Nick Pringle, Scott Huebscher
Creative Team: Dantie van der Merwe, David Fraser
Digital Creative: Stephen Joss
Managing Partner: Nicole Taylor
Planning Director: Ryan Richards
Business Directors: Josette Addinall, Dave Murphy
Business Management: Kamina Nagel, Kim Friedleander
Head of Onscreen Production: Brenden Johnson
TV Production Assistant: Casey Schweikert
Digital Producers: Jeroen Jedeloo and Rob Pignone
Digital Production: Tribal DDB
Print Producer: John Wood
Finished Artist: Justin Hoyer
Partners
Director: Sean Meehan
Executive Producer: Sam McGarry
Production House: SOMA Films
Post Production: Method Studios
Music: Arrangement & Recording of “My Baby Just Cares For Me” by Smith & Western Sound
Design: Song Zu
Media: MediaCom
20 Comments
That’s a really fun idea.
Saw this on TV last night. Felt like the idea gets lost, needs to breathe a bit for me.
Fun though.
Nice idea. Nice casting. Nice direction. Nice music.
confused
Needs more credits.
Reminds me of Maccas cone ad from 90’s.
Like it, good performance from the old chap as well.
Love the old man. Been trying to use him for years. Glad to see he got a run.
Top spots guys, they really stand out.
Pretty good. Well done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqH98WFmA7g
Would you like more cheese with that script?
Very nice. Great casting.
Sweet little spot, and nice performance from old guy.
Well done 12.10pm, for brilliantly pointing out that a Nina Simone tune has been used before in a commercial. Can you do me a quick compile of “Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong? All those ads must be identical as well, obviously, especially if they feature actors in similar age ranges.
That is proper crap. Like not the fake, plastic kind. I mean the real chunky, stick to your shoe kind of crap.
It’s always a difficult balancing act getting the fun bit and the car bit to work together. I find very little to like or want about the car, yes I get the point about it being a small car that feels like a bigger car, but not only has that been done much better elsewhere, it’s all a bit second-fiddle to the old bloke. I enjoyed the end joke…a bit too much, and therein lies the problem. At the risk of being accused of taking things too literally, one could argue that the old bloke’s confusion about the size of the car could simply be put down to sort-sightedness. (That’s the sort of stupid comment you’re likely to get from the half-awake TV viewer in Consumerland. And they’re the people you have to win over, not those of us in Adland.)
Old CD guy, I thought the joke was that he is short-sighted, but thinks it’s a big car because of the power and the sound. Kinda Mr Magoo style. I could be wrong though (it’s happened before, believe it or not).
P.T. Dafoo
It was not meant to be a negative post, it was purely highlighting the similarities between the two. IE. Song, old guy, old guy adjusting glasses, bowling and from the same agency. I didn’t say it was identical.
i don’t have a problem with them being similar. As I said, ‘both nice spots’.
And you’re right. It is a great performance from the old guy.
Maybe you’re being a little too defensive.?
Ahhhhhhhh, OK then. And here’s a third spot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zOrV-5vh1A&feature=related
It’s not identical to either VW or McDs, even though it has a street. And a car. Not that I have a problem with that either. So let’s say…”all three are nice spots”. Yay!
I like your thinking, 4:06. If it were possible to purchase the actual animated Mr Magoo and do a multi-media thing with him, putting him into the live action, that would be a very campaignable and highly entertaining idea. And it would end the confusion about what the actual idea is, if indeed a Magoo-type character was the intention. Though getting Jim Baccus back from the grave to do the Magoo voice would be a trifle difficult.
Who is the yuong actor