Brand Communication
DAVID FURLONGER: Volkswagen shifts back to people-focused advertising
Multinational brands in all product categories are trying increasingly to create a common message across all markets
Whether it was entertainer David Kramer cycling crazily alongside a Kombi, a Beetle being passed between generations, VWSA workers assembling into the shape of the company logo, Citigolfs flying through the sky or a fractious father and son bonding during a road trip, there was a feeling of warmth, a sense that the brand understood what it meant to be South African. The music, much of it by singer-songwriter Andre de Villiers, was a key ingredient. That identity has been missing for a few years. O&M Cape Town has continued to create memorable work: for example, its VW StreetQuest digital and integrated campaign — an online challenge to find as many VWs as possible on SA roads — won a 2013 grand prix at SA’s leading creative awards show, the Loeries. But more overseas TV commercials have been imported and dubbed: many of them amusing without a common thread. The emphasis has been on product, not brand. Particularly after long-time VWSA marketing head Mike Glendinning left in 2013 to ...
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