PoloDriver

Two world champion Tango dancers, reams of fake tattoos, one Volkswagen Polo and a wire brush. They’re just some of the ingredients of the new Polo TV commercial, currently airing in the UK. The new advert seems to be getting positive responses from user of Facebook, which proves that Volkswagen’s choice of an online social media marketing campaign to promote the commercial could be the right one. Since our first post about the 60-second spot’s debut on 10 November, we’ve learnt that the ad is called ‘Last Tango In Compton’ and was directed by supremo commercial director Jonathan Glazer.

With quite a track record, having made easily recognisable campaigns for Guiness (‘Surfers’), Sony (‘Paint’) and Levi’s (Odyssey), Glazer has actually shot a Polo commercial before, working on 1998’s ‘Protection‘ series of TV spots. Shot in North London, ‘Last Tango in Compton’ features Gasper Godoy and Manuella Rossi dancing a commissioned piece by one of the world’s foremost choreographers with a setup of over 20 different cameras simultaneously following their moves. Volkswagen UK plan to release behind the scenes footage, and above is the first film. Watch through to 03:39 for the commercial itself; more details and photos can be seen on Volkswagen UK’s Polo Facebook campaign page.

Volkswagen Polo ‘Last Tango In Compton’ TV campaign credits
Project Name: Volkswagen Polo
TVC: Last Tango in Compton
Client: Sarah Clayton-Jones, Nigel Brotherton and Rod Mcleod, Volkswagen UK
Creative Agency: DDB UK
Executive Creative Director: Jeremy Craigen
Copywriter: Dave Henderson
Art Director: Richard Denney
Account Planner: Leo Rayman and Tom Lloyd
Production Company: Academy Films
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Director of Photography: Dan Landin
Agency TV Producer: Sarah Browell and Lucinda Ker
Producer: Ben Link
Media Agency: MediaCom
Media Planner: Louise Pastou, Emma Franklin
Account Team: Jonathan Hill, Paul Billingsley, Matt Delahunty and Harriet Bates
Sound Design: Soundtree/Wave
Editor: Paul Watts, The Quarry
VFX Supervision and Post production: One of Us Studios

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Volkswagen’s BlueMotion technology not only helps the Polo achieve exceptional fuel economy. Victoria Stubbs from Volkswagen retailer group Vindis explains how a Passat BlueMotion recently entered the record books

A new Guinness World Record for fuel economy has been set by a journalist from The Sunday Times driving a Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion. The car was a standard production model with no adjustments or alterations, and it travelled a staggering 1526 miles on one tank of normal diesel. The record was witnessed by two AA engineers who followed the Passat in their van, and has been officially accredited by Guinness.

The 77.25 litres of fuel was enough to get the Passat, its driver (and a navigator) from Maidstone in Kent to the South of France, and nearly as far back as Calais. Where possible, travel was on French autoroutes to minimise town driving (which uses more fuel), and over the three-day journey the average speed was a little over 45mph.

The car used for the record-breaking run was fitted with a 104bhp, 1.6-litre TDI engine using Volkswagen’s new common-rail system. The Passat’s official combined cycle fuel economy is 64.2mpg, but on this journey, a figure of 89.8mpg was attained. The cost of fuel for the journey worked out at an amazing 6.17p per mile!

In common with the Polo and Golf BlueMotion models, the Passat is fitted with aerodynamic modifications to the bodywork, a lower ride height, Stop/Start, programmed battery charging, longer gearing and low rolling resistance tyres. The result is a vehicle that is completely conventional to drive, service and maintain yet among the most efficient vehicles on the road today.

Using the same technology, a Polo BlueMotion recently took part in the inaugural RAC Future Car Challenge. With a combined economy of 80.7mpg from its 74bhp 1.2 TDI engine, it was forecast that the Polo BlueMotion would complete the 57-mile run from Brighton to London using just 3.21 litres of diesel (0.70 gallons) costing a total of £3.78 based on today’s average fuel prices.

Victoria Stubbs, Vindis
Vindis are VW dealers for all models including used Volkswagen Passat

[World Record image: Media Inventions Ltd]

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It’s Polos to the double in the latest issue of Volkswagen Driver magazine. The latest version of the eco-minded Polo BlueMotion 1.2 TDI is put through its paces in a 6-page road test, while the 4-page model profile centres on the 2006-2010 1.8T-powered Polo GTI 9N3 (0-62mph in 8.2 seconds, top speed of 134mph). The GTI profile also features information on the Polo GTI Cup Edition, which boasted 178bhp – 30 up on the standard car – and was only available in European markets.The December 2010 issue of Volkswagen Driver magazine is on sale now or can be ordered via the Autometrix Publications website.

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Polo and Volkswagen fan Billy Cordes tells the story of ‘Gertrude’, his 1989 Polo hatchback. With the help of his dad and many new parts and paint, he has rebuilt his 21 year-old Helios Blue Polo CL hatchback and restored it to something resembling its former ‘as new’ glory

We have always been a VW driving family. My dad has owned a few old Beetles in his driving career and rebuilt a written-off Wizard Beetle Roadster for my mum many years back. He now owns a rusty ’72 Bay Window camper that hasn’t moved for a while. My grandad has also had Beetles, as well as my uncle, but they now both drive mid-’90s Golfs. My love for the Polo started on a family holiday to Cornwall in 2003 where I saw a white Mk 2 hatchback sat near the beach with a surfboard on top. The car was quite ratty and that made it even cooler.

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Over in India, The Autocar Show has pitted the new Volkswagen Vento (Polo saloon to you and me) against the similar-sized Honda City. Both use names from their makers’ pasts, and both compete for a slice of the junior/mid-size sedan market. Broadcast every weekend on Bloomberg UTV, The Autocar Show is a brand extension of Autocar India magazine and reports on motoring stories for the Indian market. Fitted with 1.6-litre 104bhp petrol and diesel engines and available in Trendline and Highline trims, the cheapest Volkswagen Vento starts at Rs 6.99 lakhs. What do the Indian road testers think of the new Polo-based notchback? Click on the video link above to find out.

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