Together with Volkswagen we identified a gap between the perceived value versus the real value of their cars. In other words, the target group didn't really feel that the price of the "product" is equal to the purchase of the car.

Therefore, we saw the need for creating a platform that would enable Volkswagen to engage with the target group on a more emotional level than merely functional benefits - and herby elevating brand image over time.

To do so we decided to bring back "Volks" in "Volkswagen" - because in the end it's a car's ability to connect us as people, families and generations, that makes a car more valuable than the money we pay for it.

Our insight study pointed to the fact, that what truly connects families and generations is shared memories. The strategic point of departure was the story about, how family members are connected through shared memories and history - with Volkswagen being the catalyst. The typical ad would be where the concept of family is single-minded and positive - but our insights study showed another way. We found out that family is not always based on pure brightness - it's also one of the most fundamental reasons for human problems, with 43% naming their parents as the cause of big life disappointments.

Our creative solution is a 6-minute hero movie where we chose a creative direction with focus on the more fragile, but more relatable aspects of family relationships - the father/ son conflict, where each of us strives to be a better version of ourselves for next generation, based on our memories and experiences. Just like Volkswagen aims to constantly improve and be even better than the previous generation - connecting Volkswagen and our concept and strategy.
We seeded the film though YouTube and Facebook - and alongside the hero-execution, we introduced the content hub "Volkswagen Generations", where we shared personal stories and memories from Volkswagen enthusiasts and heirs.

It was soon clear that Volkswagen had hit the nerve. More than 1.2 million people have seen the film with and impressive VTR (view through rate) of 46% on organic reach.

In total, users consumed more than 45.200 hours of the Volkswagen short-film, with amazing response as a result.

The film was showered in good vibes and got over 7.600 likes, shares and comments - but, what numbers don't show is the positive degree of how the film resonated with people's own experiences and emotions and the personal impact it had on the conversations, which the film triggered.

The proof that we managed to hit a nerve in this digital age - where the audience's attention span is getting shorter by the day - was the common response to the film, that it was "worth 6 minutes of your time".

Volkswagen achieved the ultimate earned value as "Generations" contributed to a 35% increase in buzz score and 21% increase in their Word of Mouth score over the course of the campaign period (Source: Brand Index).

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