The Volkswagen Polo hit the market fifty years ago and today it is one of the most driven cars in multiple markets. That is why in its new advertising campaign to promote its new electric version in the Netherlands, the brand has left the appearance of the vehicle to the memory and imagination of consumers.
Under the claim “You can imagine the rest of the new Polo yourself”, the creativity developed together with Dentsu Creative Amsterdam shows only the chassis of the car, giving prominence to the electric propulsion system. The thought articulated by the campaign is that, except for the electrical system, the rest of the car is the same as what users are already familiar with.
The idea has materialized in different creatives for different channels. On social networks, Volkswagen has shared several pieces showing the structure of the car, with a transparent body. “100% electric, 100% Polo” is the motto with which the company reinforces the identity and legacy of the model.
“Volkswagen has always believed that truly powerful ideas don’t need to be flashy. This campaign is sure to show almost nothing, and that is precisely why it stands out.“, commented Berno Schokker, Marketing Communication Director of Volkswagen in the Netherlands, according to Little Black Book.
The campaign has also had executions in the press, with graphics that have appeared in the main Dutch newspapers; as well as in outdoor advertising media in particularly busy points in the country. The pieces created take as a reference, as was done recently in Australia to promote the Tayron model, the brand’s classic advertising, characterized by its intelligence and subtlety.
The graphic evokes the strategy and aesthetics of “Think small,” devised by advertising man Bill Bernbach and the DDB agency in the 1960s to promote the Beetle model, and considered one of the most influential advertising campaigns of all time.
The agency assures that the tone and style of the campaign fit with Volkswagen’s communication trajectory. “This campaign fits exactly into Volkswagen’s long tradition. He has taken space to leave things out, and that is precisely what gives strength to the work“, commented Sven Vening, CEO of Dentsu Creative Amsterdam, via LinkedIn. “We have been creating campaigns for Volkswagen for 20 years. Twenty years working together, looking for clarity, the right tone for Volkswagen and giving each other trust, because the bar is high with so much advertising history”.
The idea is similar to the one presented this January by the industrial group Sandvik to highlight an uncomfortable truth of the green transition. The brand created a transparent car, called eNimon – “do not mine” in reverse – and it is the first electric car in the world manufactured without metals or minerals from mining. The piece, which was exhibited at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm, sent the message that without mining, there is no future for the electric car.
