In April last year, VW released a series of ‘the same, but different’ ads to run before the main One News weather bulletin. And it’s back for more in 2013, with five more weather sponsorship idents that are imbued with VW’s now well-renowned sense of humour and show how the various features make life more enjoyable for people. And dogs.
When we spoke with DDB’s group business director Scott Wallace last year, he said the primetime weather spot is a “valuable property and it had lifted the brand’s profile to another level”. But coming up with material to run every day of the year was a massive challenge.
“You can’t run one ad 365 days of the year because people will tire of that so quickly. So we came up with a series of five 15 second commercials which are from the same mould as ‘Milk Run’,” he said.
And while the same but different tagline has gone this time, these new ‘Enjoy the Weather’ spots by Exit Films’ Greg Wood have a similar everyday VW vibe and also aim to further localise and humanise the brand, something that has helped shift the perception of the European carmaker from being too Germanic, too expensive and too stand-offish to a brand that gets New Zealand. Along with some fairly serious price ‘realignment’ and a series of sponsorships including New Zealand Football and the New Zealand Olympic Committee, that shift has resulted in some impressive sales figures—and the supreme TVNZ-NZ Marketing Award in 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHpPimdTkmA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FibFgnxb6rg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt11UGllS-E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHpPimdTkmA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa1I22c-YWk
Credits:
Agency: DDB Group New Zealand
Executive Creative Director – Andy Fackrell
Creative Directors – Natalie Knight & Gavin Siakimotu
Creatives – Toby Morris, Simone Louis, Kevin Bachtiar, Sasha Arandelovic
Executive TV Producer – Judy Thompson
Agency Producer – Samantha Meehan & Rosie Grayson
Group Account Director – Scott Wallace
Account Director – Susie Darling
Production Company: Exit Films
Director – Greg Wood
Producer – Declan Cahill
DOP – Ian McCarroll
Art Director – Brant Fraser
Editor – Nathan Pickles
Client: Volkswagen New Zealand
National Marketing Manager – Denise Goodwin
