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Volkswagen has launched volkswagen-classic.de, a new website for owners of older VWs. Aiming to offer an ‘exciting and fascinating mix of magazine and interactive community’, visitors to the focused portal will find a selection of unpublished photographs, brand new information and comprehensive facts on Volkswagen history and classic models from 1949 to 1999. All the historical Volkswagen activities will be found at volkswagen-classic.de, from events, car collections/tours and even original part sales. A central part of the new website is the official magazine of Volkswagen Classic, which will appear exclusively online. It offers exclusive stories and features articles about classic Volkswagens. In each issue of the magazine there will be a special theme – the star of the first issue is the Golf Cabriolet.

Each individual model also gets its own profile page, complete with detailed chronology, technical specifications and advertising history. The online community will offer a central online platform, where owners and friends of classic Volkswagens are offered numerous opportunities to engage in dialogue, exchange ideas, discuss, and to actively communicate with Volkswagen. Registered users can create a personal profile with which to network; brand and specific model clubs get their own website space to present and promote their vehicles and activities. Professional support is provided, too: the Volkswagen Classic online team, support staff and experts will ‘always be ready to answer discussion questions.’

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Volkswagen is taking its special edition Style models on a nationwide tour of Germany, visiting more than 200 cities in the country. Starting in April 2011 and running until the autumn, the tour will highlight the company’s broad range of models to both retailers and potential customers. ‘With the Style Tour 2011, we invite visitors to experience the Volkswagen brand and experience the diversity of our attractive and environmentally friendly model range itself,’ said Werner Eichhorn, Head of Sales and Marketing (Germany), Volkswagen Passenger Cars. In addition to style, the models and the driver assistance systems will focus on VW’s environmental theme of ‘Think Blue.’

At the national roadshow, visitors can take a closer look at the Style special models, which include the Polo, Golf and Golf Plus. The tour kicked off on 8 April in Autostadt in Wolfsburg, where it will stay until 17 April. ‘We are pleased to present the Style special edition models to guests of Autostadt and Volkswagen employees here in Wolfsburg,’ said Christian Hammerich, Manager of Autostadt. In addition to the Style special models, the new Jetta and Eos will be shown, as will economical BlueMotion versions of the Sharan, Touran and Passat Variant. Drivers of a more sporting bent are offered the Golf GTI, Golf R and Scirocco.

In addition to short test drive appointments, Volkswagen will present the ‘Story of Style’, a selection of the company’s design milestones. In addition, there will be information and a world of ideas relating to sustainability and innovation at Volkswagen under the ‘Think Blue’ banner – how of make individual mobility safer and more comfortable, as well as films on driver assistance systems. Fuel saving tips will also be offered and VW will also inform visitors about its parking aid and new ‘Lane Assist’ lane departure technologies. The Polo Style is available from €14,075 and features a range of equipment including Toffee Brown metallic paint and 15-inch ‘Estrada’ alloy wheels.

Volkswagen is set to take to the road for the next six months, visiting a number of shows and exhibitions with its BlueMotion Technology products, encouraging the nation to ‘Think Blue’ and find out about the latest innovations which help cut the cost of motoring by making every drop of fuel take you further. Visitors to events including the Gadget Show Live, the Ideal Home Show Scotland in Glasgow and Gardeners’ World Live will have the opportunity to learn about Volkswagen’s range of BlueMotion Technologies by engaging with an interactive touchscreen experience and riding the ‘rollercoaster’ which takes them on a journey of discovery into the innovations which reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

Visitors will also get the chance to get up close and personal with one of Volkswagen’s BlueMotion products and see for themselves that these cars are standard vehicles – but better. The Polo BlueMotion, for example, looks like a Polo, has the same safety and technology features, is conventional to drive, service and maintain – and yet returns 80.7mpg on the combined cycle and emits just 91g/km of carbon dioxide making it exempt from VED and the London Congestion Charge. Volkswagen will also be giving away tickets to some of the shows via an online competition through its @UKVolkswagenTwitter feed. For details on the events, visit the links below or the Volkswagen UK Facebook page.

Gadget Show Live 2011
NEC, Birmingham; 13–17 April
www.gadgetshowlive.net

Ideal Home Show Scotland
SECC, Glasgow; 27–30 May
www.idealhomeshowscotland.co.uk

Drive the Future at Motorexpo
Canary Wharf, London; 6–12 June
www.motorexpo.com

Gardener’s World Live
NEC, Birmingham; 15–19 June
www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com

EcoVelocity
Battersea Power Station, London; 8–11 September
www.ecovelocity.co.uk

[Source: Volkswagen UK]

Last month, Volkswagen Australia launched a cute new 60-second brand TV commercial campaign to ‘celebrate the unique Volkswagen product experience.’ With 30 and 45-second edits to back the full-length ad up, agency DDB Sydney produced the spots, which aim to show the whole range of Volkswagen products available. Only using sounds of everyday life from fictional satisfied VW owners, the commercials are littered with sounds of appreciation, approval and the Volkswagens themselves. And where does the Polo fit in? A yellow example can be seen exiting a corner a second in during the full-length version above…

Volkswagen ‘Word’ TV campaign credits
Agency: DDB Sydney
Executive Creative Director: Dylan Harrison
Creative Directors: Steve Wakelam/Grant McAloon
Art Director and Copywriter: Steve Wakelam
Director: Steve Rogers
DoP: Simon Duggan
Production House: Revolver
Executive Producer: Michael Ritchie
Producer: Pip Smart
Strategic Planner: Nick Andrews
TV Production: Brenden Johnson/Claire Seffrin
Business Director: Patrice Bougouin
Media Agency: Mediacom
Client: Jutta Friese/Nina van der Wees/Loren Elsegood

[Source: Campaign Brief]

The 81st Geneva Motor Show threw open its doors today, and aside from the Italdesign Volkswagen Tex coupé concept we reported on earlier in the week, VW itself has more than a handful of debuts and new models on show. The Swiss expo sees the world debut of the new Golf Cabriolet – only announced last week – and the rejuvenated Tiguan. There’s also the BlueMotion variant of the new Passat, and perhaps most surprisingly of all, a new take on the iconic Type 2 (T2), called the Bulli – the original T2’s name in Germany. Here’s a quick round-up of the latest Volkswagen unveils from the show floor. The 81st Geneva Motor Show is open until 13 March at Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland.

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