Mystery, espionage and car chase fuel Golf GTI campaign

The integrated campaign, targeting 26 to 35 year old men, showcases the car’s distinctive personality, performance, as well as its sense of style and fun.

The campaign centres on an action-packed plot involving mystery, espionage and a spectacular car versus helicopter chase. In the lead up to the launch, DMG unveiled a prequel film for attendees at the GTI’s launch, which features a mysterious GTI driver being handed a silver briefcase and the keys to the car, with instructions to deliver it to “Kevin”.

A follow up 30-second TV commercial features a red Golf GTI being pursued at high speed by a black helicopter through a shipping yard.  The car evades capture, leaping for freedom between shipping containers before a director calls “cut,” revealing the chase to be part of a movie sequence.

Over 700 car enthusiasts, VW dealers, media and VIP guests attended the live launch event in Guangzhou, and watched the filmed action come to life. Following the film’s close, a chase involving four cars and four motorcycles ensued across a giant stage to the backdrop of a helicopter’s roar, before a spotlight revealed the “Kevin” in the TVC to be Kevin Rose, FAW-Volkswagen’s vice-president of sales and marketing.

Rose, complete with mysterious silver briefcase, was then whisked away in a red GTI driven by Shi Tao, executive vice-president of FAW-Volkswagen. At the chase’s conclusion, Hu Yong, general manager of FAW-Volkswagen, steps out of the red GTI to reveal that the silver briefcase contained the car’s retail price.

The cross-media campaign’s integrated approach highlights the increasing sophistication required of western brands hoping to crack the Chinese market.

Dan Mintz, founder and chief creative officer of DMG, explained: “The Chinese advertising market is as dynamic and fast-moving as the rapid growth of the country’s consumerism. Since car launches are as common in China as anywhere else we had to come up with an innovative concept for the Golf GTI that would connect with, engage and draw in new customers.  The campaign personifies integration – we used every available channel for the Golf’s launch from connecting traditional and digital advertising with a live event via one defined storyline.”

All print and point of sale materials now feature images of the Golf GTI amid the setting of the helicopter car chase.

Credits: 
Project Are you GTI Enough?
Client FAW-Volkswagen
Client team David Goggins, Wang Feng, Martin Biswurm
Digital agency DMG Media
Creative team Dan Mintz, Chee Wee Choo, Michael Funk, Weibing Xu
Planner Roobin Golestan
Senior producer Ning Ning
Exposure Television, print, online, point-of-purchase