Volkswagen Australia narrates a tale of a remote lighthouse keeper seeking reasons to hit the road

Driving is fun on an empty road. Some people find reasons to drive, as it gives a sense of independence and adrenaline rush. 

The latest campaign by Volkswagen Australia, narrates a similar story of a lighthouse keeper, working in a remote area of the country and finding reasons to drive a car. The 90-second spot was created by DDB Sydney and directed by Steve Rogers. 

In the first glimpse, he is seen doing his daily chores and waiting for something, which is unclear in the initial scenes. 

The protagonist is then seen cleaning, cooking and tending to his lighthouse, while looking at the mail boat. Then, he gets in his Volkswagen car to drive a short distance to the letterbox. 

The campaign is captivated with its silent yet powerful storytelling, exuding charm accompanied by a subtle musical thread.

According to The Drum, the campaign is Volkswagen’s first new brand campaign in Australia for seven years, and introduces its ‘Let’s Go for a Drive’ platform.

The report also stated, Matt Chandler, executive creative director, DDB, said that the brand needed an innovative concept that would go beyond the functional. 

He added, “It’s not every day you get the opportunity to develop work for such an iconic brand that has such a rich heritage of advertising. With all that past work in mind, we wanted to tell a very simple story beautifully. One that brings to life the simple joys of taking even the shortest drive. We’re very proud of this little tale and very fortunate to have brought it to life with such great clients and production partners.”

The ad will run on television with out-of-home, digital and social activations.

“There are great synergies between DDB and Volkswagen, both in the present and in the years gone by, and we have seen that play out throughout the development of this campaign,” told Michal Szaniecki, passenger vehicles managing director at Volkswagen, to The Drum.

He added, “We felt a connection to the creative concept from the beginning and felt it spoke directly to who we are as a brand and how we want people to feel when driving our cars. We are incredibly proud of the outcome and the way it represents the experience of driving with Volkswagen.”

In 2024, the company launched numerous new models in the market, including many all-electric vehicles such as Volkswagen ID.4, ID.5 and the ID. Buzz.