Volkswagen has done it again! The German automotive manufacturer launched its campaign for the New Vento with an innovation in today’s edition of The Times of India and The Hindu.
As readers opened the newspaper a light-sensitive chip attached to the page announced the arrival of a perfectly engineered car – the Vento.
This is the very first time the Indian audience has witnessed such communication, taking print advertising to another level altogether.
Volkswagen recently captivated the readers of India’s largest daily, The Times of India, with its cutting-edge ‘Roadblock’ and the Volkswagen Polo ‘Hole-in-the-paper’ campaigns. The brand campaign was kicked-off in November 2009. For the first time ever, a newspaper was blocked on a nationwide scale by a single advertiser, across 16 editions. 68.6 lakh readers* were introduced to Volkswagen. No wonder the campaign garnered outstanding results. Volkswagen was the no.1 searched term on Google India* soon after the roadblock. (*IRS 2009, R1 data).
On the other hand, to launch its premium hatchback, Polo, Volkswagen had cut-outs in the shape of the car at the top of every page of The Times of India. A distinct feature of the car was detailed on each page.
DDB India is a unit of DDB Mudra, which is one of the four agency networks of the Mudra Group.
Speaking on this innovation, Mr. Lutz Kothe, Head Marketing & PR, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India, said “At Volkswagen, innovation is a way of life, it extends beyond our cars to even the way we communicate which reflects in this initiative.”
Commenting on this innovation, Madhukar Kamath, Group CEO & Managing Director – Mudra Group, said, “The Roadblock in November, The Polo ‘Hole in the paper’ in february and now the ‘talking newspaper’. This easily makes VW a true leader in ‘Innovations’. They are an excellent client to partner.Great to work with, VW particularly Lutz Kothe and his team are very demanding and at the same time extremely receptive to creative ideas and exciting innovations. I am also proud of Bobby Pawar and his team in DDB India who are constantly pushing themselves to raise the bar on all VW communication.”
Commenting on this initiative, Bobby Pawar, Chief Creative Officer – Mudra Group said, “Innovation for everyone is one of the values that Volkswagen lives by. It influences the cars thy build and how we talk about them. The Volkswagen Vento is a car that built with great care and passion and the innovation gives voice to the feelings of the people who build it, namely the engineers.
Rajiv Sabnis, President – DDB India said, “Volkswagen India believes in bringing innovation to the masses and this belief extends beyond the products they create, into everything they do. DDB Mudra believes that creativity is the most powerful force in business that creates TalkValue, influences social communities and drives results. The Volkswagen Vento talking newspaper ad in Times of India/ Hindu, is a confluence of these beliefs. It is one of the most discussed and blogged topics and the most searched subject amongst the online community. So it wasn’t just the ad that did the talking but got its readers talking about it too!”
About DDB Mudra
DDB Mudra, a part of the Mudra Group, includes 4 agencies - DDB India, Tribal DDB India, RAPP India and DDB Health & Lifestyle. DDB Mudra’s four agencies provide clients with specialised solutions in their respective fields: namely Advertising and Brand Management, Digital and New Media, Data-focused communication and Health & Lifestyle.
Its roster of clients includes Volkswagen, Philips, Henkel, Johnson & Johnson, Wrigley, HP, Hindustan Unilever, ADAG, ITC, Novartis, UNICEF, Standard Chartered and Singapore Tourism Board amongst others.
