Autobahn For All
Volkswagen · CP+B · 2009 · Role: Senior Art Director
While the overall US auto market plummeted 32 percent during the financial crisis, Volkswagen sales fell only 13.5 percent, expanding its total market share from 1.6 percent to 2 percent. Autobahn For All earned the highest brand recall score of any automotive campaign in the period.
How do you sell new cars in the middle of a recession?
Selling new cars in a recession is a bit like selling someone a luxury boat while their house is on fire. This campaign did it anyway.
The idea
We invited everyday drivers onto the Autobahn. Real German engineering at a sensible price, for a time when budgets were tight, delivered with the quiet confidence of a brand that wasn’t going anywhere.
The All-New CC
The launch campaign for the new CC coupe-sedan generated immediate buzz across the automotive press, positioning high-end styling within reasonable financial reach.
Sign Then Drive
Sign Then Drive is Volkswagen’s long-standing promotional event.
Our campaign took the name literally, framing the dealership experience as almost suspiciously straightforward: sign the paperwork, get the keys, drive off. Dealerships across the country still run the format every single year.
What I did
Came up with the core ideas for Autobahn For All, the CC launch and the Sign Then Drive push.
Pitched and sold the work to Volkswagen leadership.
Directed production across everything: TV, print photography, brochures and showroom materials.
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