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Short drives may often be a means to an end for routine chores, but an ad from Volkswagen Australia flips the script by making one an eagerly anticipated joy.
The 90-second film, created by agency DDB Sydney and directed by Steve Rogers through Revolver, follows a lighthouse keeper diligently going about his routine: painting, replacing lightbulbs, washing windows and cooking a fresh fish dinner. He’s constantly humming Johnnie & Joe’s “Over the Mountain, Across the Sea” and looking expectantly toward the horizon—until a ship pulls in.
That finally provides him with the opportunity to hop into his Volkswagen and play the song on a short jaunt to pick up his mail. The film asks, “What would you drive if you didn’t need to?”
The first brand campaign from Volkswagen Group Australia in seven years introduces the “Let’s go for a drive” platform, which will focus on using television to build an emotional connection with customers.
“’Let’s go for a drive’ is an invitation from the car. It’s a very simple, gentle line, and in some ways the tone of it is as important as the meaning, since VW has always spoken with that sense of restraint,” DDB Sydney executive creative director Matt Chandler told ADWEEK.
“Ultimately, we needed to reframe the reason to drive as something beyond the functional,” Chandler added. “That when you drive a Volkswagen, it’s a pleasure in and of itself, it’s not just about where you’re going; the experience can just be that little boost in your day.”
The nationwide TV campaign will be supported by out-of-home, digital and social executions.
“As VW starts an important new chapter, with the arrival of several new models this year, it was really important that the unique Volkswagen brand was powerfully reestablished for Australian audiences,” Chandler said. “VW has always had a tone and wit wholly of its own, but having the opportunity to restore it with a classic piece of storytelling was about as exciting a creative challenge as you can get.”
