Volkswagen: Bring back the energy
Volkswagen needed to launch the all-electric ID.4 GTX in Germany and Canada. DDB Berlin was tasked with overcoming consumer skepticism that EVs lacked the performance and "soul" of classic models like the Golf. They targeted driving enthusiasts and brand loyalists, aiming to prove that the electric future would be just as thrilling and fun as the internal combustion past.
Creative Idea
A grandmother rediscovered her lost spark by hooning an electric SUV like a rally car.
Volkswagen resurrected a legendary 2010 character to prove that electric performance doesn't mean losing the brand's soul, using a "hoonigan" grandmother's joy to show that the ID.4 GTX delivers the same thrill as its internal combustion ancestors.
The Hoonigan Grandma Returns to Reclaim Her Spark
A Legacy Sequel Twelve Years in the Making
This campaign serves as a rare "legacy sequel" in the advertising world, directly referencing the 2010 "Old Lady" commercial. In the original spot, a father and son buy a red Golf Mk3 from a sweet-looking woman, unaware she had spent years driving it like a rally racer. The 2022 iteration brings back the same red Mk3 model, showing the protagonist mourning its loss with Golf-shaped cookies and a "Golf Forever" tattoo on her arm. Director Jakob Grunert used this continuity to bridge the gap between VW’s internal combustion heritage and its electric future, proving that the ID.4 GTX possesses the same "soul" as its predecessors.
Neuro-Insights and High-Octane Production
The production relied on professional stunt drivers to execute the high-speed powersliding in the dealership parking lot, showcasing the dual-motor performance of the GTX. Art Director Anne Zentgraf utilized a specific color palette to tell the story, contrasting the melancholy blue and grey tones of the protagonist's "boring" life with the vibrant reds and fast cuts of her electric awakening. This narrative-driven approach paid off; a study by Neuro-Insight found the ad was 1.4x more effective at creating strong brain responses than standard car commercials.
Long Live the Strange
The high-energy atmosphere was bolstered by the soundtrack "Long Live The Strange" by Gaz Coombes, the lead singer of Supergrass. By portraying an older woman as a vibrant, "reckless" driver rather than a frail stereotype, the campaign earned praise for its cultural realism. It successfully shifted the EV narrative from "eco-friendly appliance" to "performance machine," proving that the instant torque of the GTX could "bring back the energy" to the driver’s life.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
A rich heritage of fun-to-drive hatchbacks and a cult-classic advertising legacy that fans still remember and love.
Category
Often markets electric vehicles as sensible, eco-friendly appliances, stripping away the visceral joy and personality of driving.
Customer
Long-time fans feared that the transition to electric would mean losing the "soul" and excitement they associated with the brand.
Culture
A growing appreciation for "legacy sequels" and a desire to see older generations portrayed with agency and high-energy spirits.
Company
A rich heritage of fun-to-drive hatchbacks and a cult-classic advertising legacy that fans still remember and love.
Category
Often markets electric vehicles as sensible, eco-friendly appliances, stripping away the visceral joy and personality of driving.
Strategy:
Leverage brand heritage to humanize technological transitions through the lens of enduring emotional vitality.
Customer
Long-time fans feared that the transition to electric would mean losing the "soul" and excitement they associated with the brand.
Culture
A growing appreciation for "legacy sequels" and a desire to see older generations portrayed with agency and high-energy spirits.
Strategy:
Leverage brand heritage to humanize technological transitions through the lens of enduring emotional vitality.
Strategy Technique
Lean Into Nostalgia
By creating a direct sequel to a beloved 2010 commercial, VW bridged the gap between its heritage and its electric future, using familiar storytelling to make new technology feel emotionally resonant.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Reverse Expectations
It subverts the stereotype of the frail elderly woman and the "boring" electric car by showing a grandmother performing high-octane stunts, proving that both the driver and the brand still have their edge.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign excels through a perfect marriage of storytelling and music, using a subverted archetype to breathe life into the electric vehicle category.
The transition from static, melancholic domesticity to dynamic, high-octane car choreography is masterfully shot.
The lead actress delivers a nuanced performance that moves from heartbreaking longing to infectious, rebellious joy.
The re-imagined track perfectly mirrors the emotional pivot of the narrative, driving the energy shift.
The tagline 'Bring back the energy' works on both a literal (EV) and emotional (human) level.
The synergy between the actress's performance and the musical crescendo creates a powerful emotional payoff that makes the product feel like a catalyst for life.
