2014 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

By turning our media around and offering people instant test drives we were also able to monitor instant results. Over 50,000 people interacted with the brand experience; SMS click through rates reached 43%, and over 5,300 people shared it online. And best of all – we generated a 12% increase in actual test-drives across showrooms in the region. For the first time ever, using the power of sound and imagination, instantly test driving a Volkswagen became possible anytime, anywhere.

Creative Execution

Targeted SMS turned into unique driving experiences such as a jungle adventure in the Congo, a race around the Nuremberg track or a chaotic inner city drive, each living on a dedicated mobile website. We also aired them on radio, and shared them via social media on the desktop website, always leading the listener to sign up to a real test drive afterwards. We also created 4D sound pods that traveled across the region enhancing the audio experience through hydraulics and wind machines. Thousands of people were immersed into dark sound pods, automatically heightening the senses. Immediately afterwards promoters signed people up to a real test drive at their nearest showroom.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

With a fairly low presence in the region Volkswagen needed to get more people test driving their cars & interacting with the brand. In true Volkswagen fashion, we decided to think small and do things a little differently. We created fun and completely unique experiences that capture the audience’s attention in a simple way. Instead of using our media channels to invite people to come to the showroom and test drive a Volkswagen, we transformed them into an actual test drive, with the Instant Test Drive – A fully immersive sound experience that takes the listener into alternative worlds all in the comfort of a Volkswagen.