Volkswagen - PRNewser

‘Apple’ and ‘Volkswagen’ Unveil the ‘iBeetle’. Yes, Really.

Elizabeth S. Mitchell — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:37:14 +0000

So…it seems the iBeetle is a thing.

While a car featuring Apple-compatible features is nothing new, the Volkswagen iBeetle takes that integration to an entirely new level, working with your iPhone to allow both the car and the device to do things never before possible.

Because if there’s one thing drivers need, it’s more tech-related distractions!

Thanks to a docking station, drivers will be able to use their iPhone for navigation, hands-free calling, and listening to their favorite iTunes playlist. Also, a special Volkswagen app available through the App Store will include extra dashboard extensions and access to Spotify, social networks like Facebook, and the iPhone’s camera (so you can take a picture of the cliff you’re about to drive off while updating your Facebook status and rocking out to Justin Bieber).

The car even looks like an Apple product with its silvery color, sleek design, and chrome trim, so Mac enthusiasts who have always wanted to crawl inside their McBooks and live there will be able to make that dream a reality in the near future. The iBeetle will be abailable in two different models sometime in early 2014, and if you just can’t wait that long, you can pre-order the car in October 2013.

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Damage Control in China: Bow Down Before Your Leaders!

Patrick Coffee — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:46:02 +0000

PR in China: it’s a brave new world! Yet, despite all the talk of a dirty “black PR” industry and the impressive propaganda powers of a one-party government, damage control campaigns in the People’s Republic seem to be very simple. Based on the recent PR fails and recoveries of Western brands like Apple, KFC and Volkswagen, a big “yes sir” apology seems to be the way to go.

This issue is very relevant because, as the economy grows more global by the hour, every company that doesn’t sell artisanal pickles in Williamsburg, Brooklyn wants to build a strong reputation in China.

Here’s the backstory:

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Top 10 Social Media Moments of Super Bowl XLVII

Patrick Coffee — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:42:05 +0000

You’ve heard the news: Super Bowl 47 was all about social. While the TV ratings for last night’s game were higher than the year before, the audience’s social activity/engagement numbers more than doubled. The “Brand Bowl” confirmed something we already knew: social now plays a bigger role in the marketing/advertising/PR equation than ever before–and its influence will surely continue to grow.

Need evidence? Here are our 10 favorite social media moments from last night’s big game.

1. Oreo’s on-the-fly branding spot: Is it obvious? Yes. But there’s a reason people are still flipping out over Oreo and 360i‘s incredible acts of branding.

Power out? No problem. twitter.com/Oreo/status/29…

— Oreo Cookie (@Oreo) February 4, 2013

2. Budweiser‘s “Name that Clydesdale” campaign: This one was a slow burn strategy win. Bud was very wise to start the hype early by leaking videos and encouraging fans to get involved.

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Coca-Cola Insists Its Arab ‘Camel Jockey’ Ad Isn’t Racist

Patrick Coffee — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:42:51 +0000

Earlier today we asked whether the new practice of releasing Super Bowl ad spots before the big game was a good PR move. Now further developments make the question seem even more relevant: multiple brands have already attracted accusations of racism based on these teasers.

First Volkswagen faced a racial insensitivity backlash for its “painfully white dude speaks with Jamaican accent, mon” spot:

Now Coke faces the same sort of outrage over its Mad Max-style “crazy desert race” ad, which happens to include some unfortunate footage of a stereotypical Arab man pulling a camel.

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VW Beetle, Meet Great White Shark

Patrick Coffee — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:34:56 +0000

The Discovery Channel and Volkswagen got creative this year to promote the 25th anniversary of the ever-popular “Shark Week“: They enlisted engineers to create a framework model of the famous VW Beetle that doubles as a shark cage, allowing divers to literally drive along the ocean floor and check out the great white action above (while keeping an eye out for those pesky bottomless crevasses).

This unique meeting of a classic car and America’s favorite saltwater predator has been in the works for a while, with Discovery gradually releasing a series of teaser shorts. But the first official video is worth a glance:

Looks like another win for Deutsch LA, an agency that can seemingly do no wrong.

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Men Like Manly Cars, Women Like Little Cute Ones

Celeste Altus — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:34:29 +0000

Men and women go for very different kinds of rides. A TrueCar.com study of new car sales for 2011 showed a female affinity for the cute, fuel-efficient MINI, and other small import cars, while men continue to buy trucks, SUVs, and Ferraris in disproportionate numbers.

The matter-of-factly titled study, “Men Prefer Flashy or Brawny Vehicles; Women Prefer Import Brands and Smaller Vehicles,” really shows the gender appeal of car models.

For example, who is buying Porsche 911s? Almost all dudes.

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Will The New VW Spot Top ‘The Force’?

Tonya Garcia — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:52:47 +0000

Here it is folks. And we’ll ask the question everyone else is (including some of the characters in the ad): Is this one better than “The Force”?

More importantly, will it generate the kind of publicity and have the staying power of last year’s spot? Vote in the PRNewser Poll after the jump by EOD Friday.

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Car Companies Using New Sights, Sounds for Promos

Nancy Lazarus — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:35:23 +0000

Auto makers have just wrapped up showcasing their new models at the North American International auto show in Detroit and many will soon be advertising during the Super Bowl on February 5. However, it is far from business as usual, since car buyers have been impacted by the economy and distracted by so many media options.

As a result, auto companies have had to adapt and be more unique when advertising and promoting their vehicles. Brands across the spectrum — from economy to luxury, domestic and foreign — have tried alternative timelines and communications tools to generate increased consumer interest. They’ve been hosting contests, posting teaser ads online, using new advertising venues and creating audio files. Below are selected examples.

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The VW Super Bowl Ad is Coming!

Tonya Garcia — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:43:13 +0000

You know your campaign is a success when it tops lists, is talked about for a year, and warrants its own sequel.

Here’s Volkswagen’s teaser for its next Super Bowl ad, which plays off of the Star Wars theme of the wildly successful young Vader ad from last year. There’s also a social media component: an invite going out on the 27th for those who follow the company on social media.

Chewbacca dog!

[via Business Insider]

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Edelman Named VW’s Social Media AOR

Tonya Garcia — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:08:37 +0000

A little more Edelman news for the week — the firm announced that they’ve been selected social media AOR for Volkswagen. The decision comes after a competitive review process and Edelman’s appointment as AOR for the car company back in January.

Work began on April 1, and consists ofengagement with audiences, community management, and content creation across Facebook, Twitter, VW’s blogs, and other channels. The firm will also be helping with a number of projects, including the launch of the 2012 Beetle and Passat models.

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Cervone Heads to Volkswagen

Tonya Garcia — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:39:25 +0000

Tony Cervone has been appointed EVP of group communications at Volkswagen, marking his return to the auto industry as VW’s top PR exec in the U.S. He’ll report to Jonathan Browning, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America.

Cervone worked at GM for a decade, serving as VP of global communications strategy and operations for a short time. He also spent 14 years at Chrysler, where he was VP of communications.

Most recently he was SVP and chief communications officer at United Airlines. He joined that company in 2009.

[via InsideLine.com]

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Volkswagen First To Launch New Model Solely Via iPhone Application (And Some PR)

Joe Ciarallo — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:29:00 +0000

If you’re looking for marketing around Volkswagen’s new GTI car, you’ll only be able to find it on the iPhone. And of course, the slew of media coverage the brand has received for launching its latest model only on the iPhone.

Brian Williams, Group Vice President in the Consumer Marketing Practice at MWW Group leads the Volkswagen account. He told PRNewser that with the target audience for this campaign – 21 to 39 year olds – research showed the demographic is very close to their mobile devices. “They are rarely more than five feet away from their phone,” he said.

The concept of launching only via iPhone was put together by VW and their mobile agency, AKQA. They asked MWW, “would this stand as a successful launch and do we have a news story here,” to which the agency said yes. “No auto company has ever relied solely on a mobile app to launch,” Williams said.

As part of the campaign, consumers who play the racing game via the application will be entered to win one of six custom GTI’s. Each week VW will announce one award winner, which “helps keep PR alive,” said Williams. The six week campaign began with a launch event last week attended by 115 journalists, bloggers and online influencers. Since then, the application has been downloaded more than 700k times and is the number one free application on the App Store. “Media has embraced the idea of a mobile only strategy” Williams said.

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