Volkswagen set to roll out brand campaign for India

Volkswagen is all set to roll-out its brand campaign for India. Conceptualised by DDB Mudra, it is for the first time that the German auto major is launching a major integrated campaign that involves electronic, print, out-of-home and digital media.

Till now, Volkswagen India was using print in a big way for promoting its luxury sedans Passat and Jetta.

The new brand campaign is meant to drive brand awareness rather than being "purely sales driven", said Lutz Kothe, chief general manager - marketing and PR, Volkswagen India. "We're fairly new in the India market and haven't been aggressive in our advertising and marketing. But India is an important strategic market and the new campaign will reflect our global strategy," he said.

The campaign also makes the ground fertile for the much-awaited Volkswagen Beetle which is expected to hit Indian roads by December, followed by the SUV Touareg. Its supermini car Polo will launch in the first half of 2010, Kothe said.

DDB Mudra will release a brand film and in addition, car specific TVCs will also go on air. MediaCom is Volkswagen's media agency.

Kothe said spends on the campaign will be "competitive", lasting till February 2010. These include 18,000 TV spots, 150 print advertisements in dailies and about 300 OOH installations besides a digital campaign. It will be flagged off on Wednesday, 11 November with a roadblock in a daily broadsheet, simultaneously being supported by an intense burst on television channels. An innovative out-of-home plan has also been chalked out, said Bobby Pawar, chief creative officer, Mudra Group.

"Volkswagen has been known globally for its iconic brand campaigns. The challenge for us was to transfer that greatness in India as well. The car is not only the soul of German engineering, but also about the democratization of innovation. You'll see some very interesting creatives unfold in the coming weeks," Pawar said.