VW Returns to Super Bowl for Launch of New Ad Campaign
HERNDON, Va. — No matter the football teams matching up in Super Bowl XLIV, Volkwagen will have a spot in the lineup during one of the most-watched television events of the year. VW plans to use the opportunity to roll out an extensive marketing campaign.
This will mark the first time in nine years the automaker will place a TV ad during the Super Bowl, which is one of the most highly coveted marketing spots of the year. VW plans to debut a 30-second spot during the third quarter to launch its new "Das Auto" tagline and positioning.
Executives explained the Super Bowl ad will be a springboard into a multi-faceted campaign. They want to increase model awareness and familiarity by reminding consumers of all the new Volkswagen products.
Immediately following the Super Bowl, Volkswagen revealed that it will begin a two-month campaign that will run extensively throughout February and March to support its national sales event.
The automaker wants to saturate the marketplace by using a host of advertising mediums, including TV, online, outdoor, radio and newspaper. Executives also said every VW retail facility nationwide will be included.
Meanwhile, a digital and social media program will be launched with the intention of engaging consumers with the entire VW product lineup. VW pointed out that Max the Beetle, the strategy used to establish "Das Auto" in the U.S. market last year, will not appear in the new campaign.
VW officials also shared plans for the next phase of the overall campaign. They indicated that this portion is designed to define what goes into a Volkswagen.
Again leveraging the tagline "Das Auto," the campaign plans to promote the innovative features and benefits of modern-day Volkswagen products.
"The spots will define how Volkswagen is delivering German engineering at a great value in the often playful yet direct Volkswagen tone," the automaker noted.
The entire campaign will launch during Super Bowl XLIV, which is scheduled for Feb. 7 and shown on CBS. The nameplate's Super Bowl spot is the first work created for VW by its new creative agency, Deutsch LA.
"With its size and reach, the Super Bowl is the ideal stage for Volkswagen to debut the new campaign to nearly 100 million viewers," explained Tim Ellis, vice president of marketing for Volkswagen of America.
"As an iconic brand that has achieved pop cultural status in America, people think they are familiar with all there is to know about Volkswagen," Ellis continued.
"This campaign gives consumers a reason to take another look at the brand and gain new perspective on the breadth of our vehicle offerings, quality, performance and value," he concluded.