DDB Sydney launches new Passat campaign
Volkswagen Australia launched its ‘Pleasure before business’ campaign for the new Volkswagen Passat on Sunday night. Created by agency partner DDB Sydney, the campaign is designed to showcase the premium nature and versatility of the Passat to Australian business professionals.
Jutta Friese, GM Marketing of Volkswagen, explains: “The new Passat sets a new benchmark for this segment in terms of its stylish design, innovative technologies and luxurious features, so our aim with this campaign is to highlight the versatile nature of the car and ultimately increase its awareness in the Australian market in a unique way that would resonate with our target audience.”
Set in the early morning, the TVC focuses on those leisure activitiesAustralians love to do before work, including surfing, swimming andcycling. The Passat is positioned as the perfect vehicle for this groupwith a busy lifestyle, trying to juggle their work-life balancesuccessfully.
“We wanted to tell a story Aussie professionalscan easily connect with – the daily struggle of trying to cram in someplay before work. The car is the natural place where these two sides oflife collide. The TVC is all about this frantic, often awkward,transformation from budgie smugglers to business suit – with the Passatappearing as the subtle hero of this lifestyle,” Steve Wakelam,Creative Director, DDB Sydney said.
The TVC went liveyesterday, with 45-second and 30-second cut-downs that will air overthe next 6 weeks, supported by print, online and a microsite.
Credits:
Volkswagen:
General Manager, Marketing: Jutta Friese
Marketing Manager: Davina Hobbs
DDB:
Executive Creative Director: Dylan Harrison
Creative Director: Steve Wakelam
Art Director: Adam Ledbury
Writer: Karen Ferry
Planning Director: Nick Andrews
Managing Partner: Nicole Taylor
Senior Business Manager: Dave Murphy
Digital Producer: Ellie Campbell
TV Director: Steve Ayson
TV Producer: Claire Seffrin
TV Production House: The Sweet Shop
Photography: Alan McFetridge
Art buyer: Bryson Holt
Photography Production House: The Kitchen
Retouching & photography: Matt Bright
Retouching: Cream
Media Agency: Mediacom
Music Composer: Elliott Wheeler, Turning Studios
42 Comments
nice insight. nice ad.
A beautiful soundtrack and a beautiful idea. Me likey.
Makes me feel feel as if there’s not much room in the car.
Yeo. Shame it’s generic to most cars. That and the fact that they still struggled to get changed in the driver’s seat.
I like it. No big gag, no huge idea. Just a nice insight, nicely told with restraint and humanity.
Not a ‘big’ ad, but a worthy one.
Well done.
Classy spot. No VO and no supers to mention ‘park assist’ or ‘roll down seats’ or all the other features. Glad at least one car company in Australia isn’t doing what all the others are. Well done VW and DDB.
er I’m a bit confused.
Bugger me! Nice to see a campaign.
Love the TV but where can we see the press campaign?
Sorry, just realised I’m not confused, I’m stupid. Just watched it again, great. Love it.
I must be an idiot.
I don’t get it.
@ 2.23….I’m with you. You would have no idea what the ad was going on about if it wasn’t helped with the end super.
that said, nice pics…nice sound track
Blimey…I’m speechless…well actually i’m not….that was awful….time for a some new Creative Directors me thinks
Beautiful insight. Beautiful music. Beautiful to watch. Nice one Steve W, and well done DDB. More ads like that in my living room please.
@4:38… well that would explain why it has the end super.
like an ad, you know?
i like it.
Sorry, it’s crap.
5:48 – you dislike is so obviously aimed at steve/dylan (and not the ad) that you’ve made your own comment a bit pointless don’t you think?
No, probably not.
Anyway… i personally love the tv, but where’s the press campaign?
j
saw it last night and had to youtube it to watch it again. really beautiful with haunting music. lovely lovely. congratulations to everyone involved
Sorry, it’s amazing
Brave and beautiful.
Congrats to VW for having the balls to resist VOs and a shopping list of features.
And to DDB for an honest insight into the driver rather than the car.
It’s one of the most beautifully crafted car ads I’ve seen in a long time. Well done Ayson, Sweet Shop and Turning. You’ll get plenty of praise and work from this.
Whatever the hater think they’re doing the best car ad in this country atm (not hard I guess). Finally VW are letting the agency do the kind of ads they should for a brand like this.
Hey is it going to change the world? No. But it’s a good direction they’re moving in.
9.04, really…..’an honest insight into the driver rather than the car’…..spoken like a loyal DDB employee. It certain doesn’t tell me anything about the car other there is no room in the front, hardly a great selling point.
@ 9.04…..agency or prod co….which one you from?
@11:46 and 12:14
hahahaha unoriginal comments or what…. i’m sure you’ve written that exact thing every time someone disagrees with you. do you just cut and paste these days?
Very nice spot. Every aspect of it.
How anyone can actually say it’s crap is a bit of a mystery.
Not having a gig has made him a little bitter, one suspects.
Well, it does what it says on the brief, but it’s a very dull spot.
What have the creatives added to it?
Nicely executed.
And well done Elliot – great composition.
I thought it was a continuation of that list shit ad they did, people making noises when they get in the car.
It’s the same idea with a different tag line.
Sorry, but the local VWl work sucks. It doesn’t compare to other VW work from OS. Reality check, it ain’t that good.
well done ayson and nice music elliot. that guy is seriously talented.
beautiful stuff. good chance it’ll pick up
Pretty pictures and music although it’s also a fairly generic idea. Not nearly as good as your sister agency’s new effort across the ditch for the same client I see. And their spot is a retail ad too! Respect!
http://www.campaignbrief.co.nz/2011/05/ddb-auckland-launch-new-campai.html
This ad is an insight.
It’s missing one simple thing – why buy the product?
10.06pm you’re seriously deluded.
Compared to the stuff Oddfellows churn out for Toyota, it’s good.
As a standalone spot in the wider world of advertising, it’s wallpaper.
You mean like a fact or something, 7.39?
Look, buying a car is an emotional process. Otherwise, we’d all use our heads and be driving Mitsubishi Magna’s or something cheap, economical, safe, functional and perfectly fine.
So… this TVC (at least for me) makes me FEEL that VW is in the same emotional headspace that I’m in… the way they show the car being used in that spot is actually the way I use my current car.
So I’m figuring this brand gets me. Which makes me want to consider it. Which I will do.
That’s sort of how advertising is meant to work I think.
9.50pm that’s how lazy advertising works.
If you buy a car on the basis that the brand understands that you like to go surfing before you go to work, fine. Most bank advertising fits into this category too.
However, clever brands are the ones that actually have something to say about their product that distinguishes them from the competition.
Not empty, bland statements like: ‘Hey, we get you. Please like us.’
You didn’t read my point clearly, 11.06.
I said that the way they show this car being used accurately reflects the way I use my current car… so it’s more than just “we get you” it makes me feel that maybe this car has been designed for someone like me.
Then having watched this spot, later that night I checked out the VW website to find out a bit more about Passat. Because I’m kinda sorta thinking about changing cars, so I’m in the market.
This, I imagine, is exactly the response the client would be looking for.
So it worked for me. And guess what – I don’t even work at DDB.
‘And guess what – I don’t even work at DDB.’
I doubt that very much 12.23PM
Even the client would be embarrassed to post such a gushing response.
Give it up, mate.
How has this car been designed for someone like you.12.23?
The ad shows people struggling to get changed in the front seat, as well as a guy lying on the grass looking up at the sky.
The ad doesn’t convey that the Passat been designed for anyone in particular.
It’s merely a lifestyle ad, reflecting the consumer. Which is why it’s very average.
awesome ad. i wish i had it on my reel.
secretly so do the people who claim to hate it.
they’re just the usual anonymous bunch. writing on this blog is about the only way they can vent their frustrations as the dismal state of their own output.
pity them.
Great ad. Well done Adam
beautifully crafted ad