Volkswagen wants to be the most memorable auto brand in market.
That’s the goal driving Volkswagen Canada’s new campaign by DDB Canada, which launched earlier this month.
Called “Unforgettable,” the new creative platform focuses on the memorable driving experience across all Volkswagen models – a tactic it will continue to use in future campaigns.
The new work marks the first major creative output from the brand since it moved its account from Red Urban to DDB last September. At the time, Volkswagen was looking for a national agency to work with on its plans to aggressively grow its business in Canada over the next five years.
The “Unforgettable” brand platform is the first step in that plan. Volkswagen’s aim is to strength its positioning as a “sophisticated” brand and to increase awareness across the board, especially at the model level.
“Our research showed while many people know the [Volkswagen] name, they don’t have a great understanding of each of the models and what they have to offer,” Rob Sturch, creative director at DDB Canada, told Marketing. “Part of our task was to re-familiarize people with the Volkswagen experience.”
The agency’s starting point, Sturch said, was personal experience. Sturch owns a Volkswagen, as do several other DDB staffers, so he sat down with them to talk about why they chose the brand. The common deciding factor, he said, was the lasting impression of their first drive in a Volkswagen – an insight that’s fueled the campaign.
“That snowballed into conversations about all the ways VW has been unforgettable – in their product and as part of culture,” he said. “It was a perfect match for the brand.”
One spot for the 2015 Tiguan, plays with the idea of control by telling the story of a father driving his daughter and her date to their junior prom. When the date leans in for a kiss, the father in the ad speeds up quickly, keeping the young couple glued to their seats.
The Tiguan spot is of particular importance for the brand as it looks to shine a spotlight on its SUVs. The company has enjoyed strength in the small car market with models like the Golf, the Jetta and the Beetle, but there’s a lack of awareness for its SUVs. Volkswagen is looking to address that challenge with “Unforgettable.”
The other spot, for the 2015 Pasat, shows a young driver who lucks out during a driving test when the examiner is too distracted by the car’s elegance to notice all of the boy’s mistakes.
The ads are both currently in market, running in the 30-second format on broadcast and as 15-second pre-roll online. Aimed at slightly different targets, each spot has its own media buy. The Tiguan ad is being supported by an NHL playoff sponsorship, while the Pasat ad is running on specialty TV networks.
Both are supported by dealership print ads, pre-roll and a social and digital buy. Mediacom handled the media buy.
