Hasta La Creative!

Imagine walking down the street, going about your business, and seeing a car-towed box trailer whizzing past—backwards.

You might imagine you had stumbled onto the set of an action movie. Or perhaps it’s a Norwegian Volkswagen campaign from agency Try Oslo that picked up four Lions last week in Cannes, including gold in the Promo category, as well as silvers in Outdoor and PR and a bronze in Film.

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Volkswagen wants you to feel like a kid again.

A new campaign from the automaker and agency Deutsch LA cleverly invites you to create your own virtual test drive of a Golf R—by making car noises into your computer.

“Unleash Your Rrr” lets you record video of yourself imitating revving engines and squealing breaks—then analyzes the audio to string together clips into a personalized video of the VW model in action, racing down a track or drifting through turns.

Professional driver Tanner Foust performed the stunts, and also stars in one of two excellent teaser vids—in which he delivers some killer sounds, and perfectly sums up the experience at the end, with a slightly horrified, “Good God.” While his facial contortions are nothing to sneeze at, actor Michael Winslow (aka, the Man of 10,000 Sound Effects) blows Foust out of the water with priceless looks and bottomless panache.

In short, it’s an exceptionally fun and simple idea. Head over to rrr.vw.com for some more samples, or to create your own—so long as you’re willing to forever and completely grant VW rights to the footage of you puckering up while you say “Vroom.”

Volkswagen Group, which includes Audi and Porsche, has become the latest advertiser to launch a global media review. VW Group spent about $605 million in U.S. measured media in 2014, according to Kantar Media.

The review is still in its opening stages, with VW Group having reached out to holding companies, and it is unclear if incumbent Mediacom, who has worked with VW Group since 1998, will defend. Volkswagen Group’s decision to launch a global media review follows on the heels of a slew of advertisers launching similar reviews. BASF and GoDaddy launched their own global media review earlier this week, while P&G launched a North American media review a week ago and Norwegian Cruise Line launched a creative and media review in early April. SC Johnson, meanwhile, consolidated its media buying account with PHD following a media review open only to roster shops.

Is this any way to celebrate Mother’s Day?

A trio of unholy terrors—pre-pubescent boys, presumably brothers—wreak havoc in a gas-station convenience store in “Mom,” an amusing Volkswagen spot from Deutsch L.A.

These little rowdies like their carbonated beverages shaken, not stirred, and heavy on the cheese-whiz, please! (Teach that chili dog a lesson!) Their acts of impish mayhem are captured in glorious Sam Peckinpah-style slow-motion as the Willie Nelson/Waylon Jennings version of “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” plays in the background. The clerk looks horrified. Guess he doesn’t like that song.

While all this is going on, Mom is outside, filling up at the pump. Too bad she doesn’t drive a 2015 VW Passat Clean Diesel. It gets “up to 814 highway miles per tank,” so you can “stop less, go more.”

If you ask me, the store got off easy. The Golden Sisters and Stinky would’ve burned that mother down.

Deustch LA launched the final spot in its campaign for the 2015 Volkswagen Passat TDI Clean Diesel, entitled “Mom.”

The 45-second spot depicts three young boys running wild in a gas station convenience store causing all kinds of destruction. Filmed in slow-motion and set to the classic country song “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” (as performed by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson) the comic approach makes for an entertaining scene of wheezing the juice, soda explosions and excessive amounts of cheesy sauce. After the boys’ shenanigans, and a shot of the mom filling up at the pump, the spot cuts to a mom in the 2015 Volkswagen Passat TDI Clean Diesel, with three well-behaved boys in the backseat. The perfect marriage of the boys’ destruction in slow motion and the music selection make for a fine sendoff spot to the campaign and follow-up to the “Old Wives Tales” spots starring the Golden Sisters.

Credits:

Agency: Deutsch LA

Chief Creative Officer, North America: Pete Favat
EVP, Executive Creative Director: Todd Riddle
SVP, Group Creative Director: Heath Pochucha
VP, Creative Director: Paul Oberlin
Partner, Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
VP, Executive Integrated Producer: Erik Press
Integrated Producer: Kaitlin Moore
Associate Integrated Producer:  Alex Saevitz
Music Director: Dave Rocco
EVP, Group Account Director: Tom Else
SVP, Group Account Director: Monica Jungbeck
VP, Account Director: Alex Gross
Account Supervisor: Aleks Rzeznik
Account Executive: Ashley Broughman
VP, Director of Product Information Jason Clark
Product Information Supervisor: Eddie Chae
Chief Strategic Officer: Jeffrey Blish
Group Planning Director: Susie Lyons
Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Group Director Integrated Business Affairs: Gabriela Farias
Business Affairs Manager: Jade McAdams
Director or Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
Broadcast Traffic Manager: Courtney Tylka
CEO, North America: Mike Sheldon
President, Los Angeles: Kim Getty

Live Action Production Company: Hungry Man
Director: Hank Perlman
Executive Producer: Nancy Hacohen
Executive Producer/Director of Sales: Dan Duffy
Line Producer: Caleb Dewart

Editorial Company: Spot Welders
Editor: Haines Hall
Assistant Editor: Oliver Hecks
Managing Partner: David Glean
Executive Producer, Director of Development: Victoria Guenier
Executive Producer: Carolina Sanborn
Producer: Evan Hunningham

Post Facility: Color Correct: Apache
Executive Producer, Managing Director: LaRue Anderson
Producer: Caitlin Forrest
Senior Colorist:  Steve Rodriguez

Post/VFX: Arsenal FX
Executive Producer: Ashley Hydrick
Senior Producer: Pravina Sippy
Lead Flame Artist: Matt Motal
Flame Artist: Jeff Aquino

Licensed/Composed Music, Credits and Track Info:
Track: “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”
Performed by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
Composed by Ed Bruce and Patsy Bruce
Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment
By arrangement with Sony ATV Music Publishing

Audio Post Company: LIME Studios
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan
Mixer: Mark Meyuhas
Assistant Mixer: Matt Miller

Your cranky straight-talking grandmother might not think much of diesel engines, but Volkswagen would like her—and you—to reconsider.

“Old Wives Tales,” a new campaign from Deutsch LA for the automaker’s Passat TDI, features the Golden Sisters, who rose to fame with their salty commentary on Kim Kardashian’s sex tape back in 2012. Now, the trio are riding around in a VW, sounding off on diesel cars—and getting it wrong.

They weigh in on rappers (dismissively, of course) and play “Who’s on First” with the question of whether the car is even running—because aren’t diesel engines supposed to be loud? While looking for a gas station, they start obsessing over food—Italian, in this case (the real-life siblings were all born Conticchio, in the Bronx)—though their heritage could, in many moments, just as easily be another variety of old, white and loud.

In other words, the four spots are all set pieces that showcase a certain type of gleefully abrasive charm—a shtick that will appeal best to the demographic that knows and loves the caricature. It’s a nice vehicle for the message. People who bear these misconceptions are likely more concerned with volume than accuracy, so don’t be like them (even if you think they’re funny).

The best moment by far is a close-up of what might be the world’s ugliest dog (a cameo that deserves credit for extra cutting against the grain of everyone everywhere putting adorable puppies in their ads). And in a discovery on which more mercenary brands should capitalize, it turns out even marketing hashtags like #tunameltsmyheart are less obnoxious when yelled by an old woman—probably because you don’t have a choice but to forgive them for being cheesy.

CREDITS
Client: Volkswagen
Agency: Deutsch LA
Chief Creative Officer: Pete Favat
Chief Digital Officer: Winston Binch
Executive Creative Director: Todd Riddle
Digital Executive Creative Director: Jerome Austria
Group Creative Director: Heath Pochucha
Group Creative Director: Tom Pettus
Art Director: Alice Blastorah
Copywriters: Shiran Teitelbaum, William Sawyer
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Executive Integrated Producer: Erik Press
Integrated Producer: Win Bates
Group Account Director: Tom Else
Group Account Director: Monica Jungbeck
Account Director: Alex Gross
Account Supervisor: Aleks Rzeznik
Account Executive: Ashley Broughman
Director of Product Information: Jason Clark
Product Information Supervisor: Eddie Chae
Chief Strategy Officer: Colin Drummond
Senior Digital Strategist: Brendon Volpe
Group Planning Director: Susie Lyons
Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Group Director Integrated Business Affairs: Gabriela Farias
Business Affairs Manager: Jade McAdams
Director or Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
Broadcast Traffic Manager: Courtney Tylka
Production Company: LMNO Productions
Director: Eric Schotz
Executive Producer: Ed Horwitz
Editorial House: Union Editorial
Editor: Paul Plew
Assistant Editor: Otto Mertins
President: Michael Raimondi
Senior Producer: Rob McCool
Post-Facility: Resolution
Sound Studio: Resolution
Producer: Logan Aires
Mixer: Milos Zivkovic

No, they’re not the Golden Girls — but they might as well be, because their ball-busting shenanigans take center stage during a ride in a new Volkswagen clean diesel-fuel-absorbing Golf TDI.

Deutsch LA, production company LMNO, and Union Editorial spin an old wives’ tale in 30 seconds in this spot as the man behind the wheel tries to get his comeuppance by taking the ladies for a little detour and discouraging their backseat driving advice.

According to the parties involved, the Tumblr-promoted ad has already garnered over 1,000,000 views since launching in late February — which proves that Blanche, Rose, Sophia, and Dorothy (or their equivalents) are always good for a laugh.

Agency: Deutsch LA

Chief Creative Officer: Pete Favat

Chief Digital Officer: Winston Binch

Executive Creative Director: Todd Riddle

Digital Executive Creative Director: Jerome Austria

Group Creative Director: Heath Pochucha

Group Creative Director: Tom Pettus

Art Director: Alice Blastorah

Copywriters: Shiran Teitelbaum, William Sawyer

Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo

Executive Integrated Producer: Erik Press

Integrated Producer: Win Bates

Group Account Director: Tom Else

Group Account Director: Monica Jungbeck

Account Director: Alex Gross

Account Supervisor: Aleks Rzeznik

Account Executive: Ashley Broughman

Director of Product Information: Jason Clark

Product Information Supervisor: Eddie Chae

Chief Strategy Officer: Colin Drummond

Senior Digital Strategist: Brendon Volpe

Group Planning Director: Susie Lyons

Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo

Group Director Integrated Business Affairs: Gabriela Farias

Business Affairs Manager: Jade McAdams

Director or Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo

Broadcast Traffic Manager: Courtney Tylka

We’ve seen lots of “Don’t text and drive” ads lately. With this one from Ogilvy Beijing, Volkswagen drove the message home to a captive movie-theater audience in a way they’ll surely remember.

Watch the spot first to get the full impact.

Obviously the video begs the question about how, exactly, the stunt was pulled off. It says a “location-based broadcaster” was used—presumably this is done through geo-fencing, though you would think people would have to opt in to receive text messages that way.

But if the footage is genuine, it’s a remarkable way to demonstrate that mobile-phone use is now the leading cause of death behind the wheel. Advertising is a great way to get that message across, at least until VW figures out a way to use German engineering to solve our obsession with cellphones.

Em julho do ano passado, a Volkswagen anunciou que iria encerrar a produção da Kombi, o que de fato ocorreu no final do ano. Isso não aconteceu, entretanto, antes que o mítico veículo fosse coberto de todas as homenagens possíveis, em campanha criada pela AlmapBBDO. Agora, a agência assina um documentário dirigido por Fernando Gronstein Andrade, da Spray Filmes, que revela os últimos desejos do carro aposentado.

Com criação de Benjamin Yung Junior, Marcelo Tolentino, Marcelo Nogueira e Marcelo Pignatari Rosa – autores da campanha – o filme nos leva por uma emocionante jornada pessoal da Kombi, narrada em primeira pessoa. Coube à atriz Maria Alice Vergueiro emprestar sua voz ao veículo, que revela histórias compartilhadas ao longo de sete décadas. E, sem vergonha nenhuma, confessa que está muito “rodada”.

Os seis meses necessários para a produção do documentário se devem à herança deixada pela Kombi a algumas pessoas especiais para ela, não só no Brasil, mas também nos Estados Unidos – o designer Bob Hieronimous, que ajudou a fazer do veículo um dos símbolos da cultura hippie -, e na Holanda, onde vive Ben Pon Jr., filho do criador do carro, a quem ela chama de irmão.

Dê o play e prepare-se para a poeirinha que vai entrar nos seus olhos…

Post originalmente publicado no Brainstorm #9
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Em 1955, Paul Loofs comprou um Fusca e tomou a decisão de rodar o mundo a bordo do carro novo. Não uma, mas três vezes. E, acredite ou não, 59 anos após sua primeira volta ao mundo, o Beetle #903847 continua na estrada, como podemos ver no documentário e hotsite Once More, The Story of VIN 903847, da Volkswagen.

O projeto de contar a história de Loofs, hoje com 82 anos, e seu Fusca, foi entregue pela VW do Canadá à agência Red Urban, de Toronto. O primeiro produto foi o documentário acima, que em pouco menos de 30 minutos conta a trajetória do homem e seu carro. Com direção de Hubert Davis, da Untitled Films, e edição de Paul Jutras, da Rooster Post, a ideia era mostrar como este carro é capaz de conectar pessoas diferentes por meio de suas experiências, merecendo a alcunha de “carro do povo”.

E se o documentário sozinho já é um material incrível, o hotsite acaba sendo um delicioso acréscimo à experiência. Nele, é possível explorar um mapa com os lugares por onde o carro rodou, com direito a um diário de bordo, fotografias e outros itens relacionados à trajetória da dupla, que pode ser explorado de diferentes maneiras.

Aproveite o fim de semana para assistir ao documentário e explorar o site, que está muito legal, mesmo para quem não é ligado em carros. Um belíssimo trabalho.

Post originalmente publicado no Brainstorm #9
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