VW’s first fully electric van, that will be released in the US in June next year, has a unique appeal. The Volkswagen Bus, born on the ‘60s hippy era when surf culture ruled, is a symbol of youth and freedom. Now it’s electric, which gives it a three-prong appeal for today’s young generations.
Johannes Leonardo understands its appeal. And its voice. That voice is human and friendly and has won fans for decades. Friends are honest. Friends don’t let you down. Friends cheer you up.
The VW ID. Buzz’ rebirth began at an event in Huntington Beach, in California on June 2, but it’s the ongoing campaign that’s remarkable.
In many ways it was conventional. The launch was teased in the week running up to the full reveal through digital OOH ads centring on the vehicle’s two-tone design, without showing the ID Buzz itself. Everything was then revealed in new OOH executions displayed in prominent locations such as Times Square in New York and downtown LA, as well as along popular bus routes.
But VW’s tone of voice – witty, human and amiable – for a generation that is sceptical of brands and dislikes being lectured. Copy lines such as “Missed the bus? Us too”, and “It’s back, its front, its side, its back again’, were turned into word plays by the accompanying visuals.
This was Johannes Leonardo’s second announcement of the ID Buzz. The first was a mea culpa of sorts in 2019 following the brand’s misstep, masking the emissions of its diesel vehicles. The agency used the bondship built with two classic ads, Lemon and Think Small, to announce a new sustainability promise.
“Our goal was to make the campaign as simple and iconic as the original bus,” commented Jonathan Santana, executive creative director at Johannes Leonardo. “Centred on its classic two-tone paint job accompanied with smart witty headlines in true VW style, we reacquaint America to this original spirit, now gone electric.”
Credits:
Client: Volkswagen Group Of America
President: Pablo Di Si
Chief of Sales and Marketing Officer, North America: Andrew Savvas
CMO & SVP, Customer Experience & Brand Marketing, North America: Rachael Zaluzec
Brand Director: Jennifer Clayton
Advertising Manager: Chanel Barresi
Brand Content Senior Specialist: Ladan Rafei
Brand Content Specialist: Emma Stuart
Creative Agency: Johannes Leonardo
Co-founders & Creative Chairmen: Jan Jacobs & Leo Premutico
Executive Creative Director: Jonathan Santana & Julian Cohen
Copywriter: Stephen McDaniel
Art Director: Katie Quinn
Design Director: Charles Watlington
Project Manager: Alexis Palew
Head Of Production: Tasha Cronin
Executive Producer: Rebecca O’neill
Producers: Rose Mahan & Frannie Schultz
Business Affairs Managers: Alesa Blanchard-Nelson & Denise Klapp
Account Leads: Sam Mccallum & Devon Houston
Account Director: Mal Gretz
Account Handling: Alexa Iliou
Chief Strategy Officer: Steve Zaroff
Strategy Directors: Mary Bakarich, Adam Van Dyke, Kat Logan & Cooper Lemon
Strategist: Mariah Sanchez
Product Director: Ryan Callahan
Production & Post Company: Preymaker
Creative Production Team: Angus Kneale, Verity Grantham, Melanie Wickham, Clairellen Wallin, Mike Pullan, Michelle Cevallos, Robert Petrie, Julian Fitzpatrick, Tobey Lindback, Ben Weaver, Alec Vacura, Bradley Stilwell, Chad Webber, Grace Hwang, Herculano Fernandes, John Haley, Jonny Bursnell, Paris Hall, Paul Kim, Pieter Uitenweerde, Samantha Woods, Sohee Sohn, Bridgette Doran, Brandon Phillis, Christian Reyes, Paul Cardon
Production Company: Bluedge
Director: Joe Savattieri
Producers: Jackie Marco & Tony Cardinale
Artists: Tom Stachula, Matt Lager & Bryan Martinez
