PoloDriver

Last month, Volkswagen Australia launched a cute new 60-second brand TV commercial campaign to ‘celebrate the unique Volkswagen product experience.’ With 30 and 45-second edits to back the full-length ad up, agency DDB Sydney produced the spots, which aim to show the whole range of Volkswagen products available. Only using sounds of everyday life from fictional satisfied VW owners, the commercials are littered with sounds of appreciation, approval and the Volkswagens themselves. And where does the Polo fit in? A yellow example can be seen exiting a corner a second in during the full-length version above…

Volkswagen ‘Word’ TV campaign credits
Agency: DDB Sydney
Executive Creative Director: Dylan Harrison
Creative Directors: Steve Wakelam/Grant McAloon
Art Director and Copywriter: Steve Wakelam
Director: Steve Rogers
DoP: Simon Duggan
Production House: Revolver
Executive Producer: Michael Ritchie
Producer: Pip Smart
Strategic Planner: Nick Andrews
TV Production: Brenden Johnson/Claire Seffrin
Business Director: Patrice Bougouin
Media Agency: Mediacom
Client: Jutta Friese/Nina van der Wees/Loren Elsegood

[Source: Campaign Brief]

The Polo has once again been crowned ‘Best Small Car’ at the 2011 Fleet News Awards, with the larger Golf retaining its ‘Best Lower Medium Car’ title from last year. Presented at a ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, honouring the fleet industry’s top achievers for the past 12 months, the judging panel was made up of fleet industry experts, in addition to senior members of the Fleet News editorial team.

Commenting on the winning cars, the judges said: ‘A broad range of engines with low-CO2 choices and a choice of three door and five door models make the Polo appealing to fleets and drivers.’ Cars were judged on a range of criteria, including operating costs (depreciation, fuel, servicing, maintenance and repair, lease rates, tax liability), suitability for their use as business cars and the level of support from the manufacturers and their corporate sales teams. For more information, visit Volkswagen’s fleet website.

Volkswagen has extended its value for money, £500 off, competitive finance package for new Polo models until 14 April 2011. Enticing buyers into showrooms, there’s also three years’ free servicing and free insurance*. As an example, the entry-level Polo S 1.2-litre 60 PS three-door model costs just £9,495, including £500 off. With Volkswagen Finance’s Solutions PCP package, monthly payments are from £99 per month – including up to three years’ or 30,000 miles free servicing (7.9% representative APR). One year’s free insurance is included for drivers over 21 years of age.

This offer applies to all Polo models purchased from stock through a Volkswagen UK Retailer and registered before 14 April 2011. If a customer chooses an alternative funding method, the standalone servicing package is available for £299. For full details and term and conditions, visit your nearest Volkswagen Retailer, call 0800 333 666 or visit www.volkswagen.co.uk/polo. Volkswagen UK sold 45,282 new Polos last year, marking 2010 as the model’s best-selling year since 2003.

*Terms and conditions apply. Available to retail customers only and available on Polo models from stock. £500 off excludes GTI and BlueMotion. Free insurance available until 14 April 2011 from Volkswagen Insurance for drivers over 21 years, excludes Northern Ireland and BlueMotion and GTI models. Volkswagen Insurance is sold, underwritten and administered by Allianz Insurance PLC.

[Source: Volkswagen UK]

Batting for the IPL (from left to right): Neeraj Garg, Member of Board and Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt Ltd; IPL CEO Sunder Raman; Lutz Kothe, Head of Marketing and PR Volkswagen Group Sales Pvt Ltd

Volkswagen Group India has launched the IPL limited edition of its Polo-based saloon, the Vento. Celebrating the fourth season of the Indian Premier League cricket series, the special model will go on sale from 8 April. The Vento IPL Edition features ‘IPL’ badging on its body, door sills and floor mats. The first unique limited edition model for Volkswagen Group India, the IPL also boasts a colour touchscreen multimedia player (mirco-SD, mini-USB, MP3 and WMA supported) with satellite-navigation, leatherette seats and a rosta of specially-branded accessories, which includes a cricket set. The Vento IPL Edition will cost from Rs 7.24-lakh, ex-showroom, New Delhi. The full Volkswagen Group India press release follows.

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Will the success of the Polo Vivo ever come to an end? Even though it sold fewer units, the South African-only Vivo was once again the biggest-selling car brand in the country, with 2945 examples finding homes. The nearest challenger for the Vivo’s crown, the Toyota Yaris, was some way short of the mark, selling 2552 units, according to the latest figures from the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA). The association reported that total industry sales for the first two months of 2011 were 21.9% ahead of the corresponding two months in 2010. Special incentive packages offered by a number of manufacturers and importers during February also contributed to the rise in sales volumes.

‘Volkswagen Group South Africa captured 21.7% of the passenger market in February – with 7421 units sold. Polo Vivo was once again the top seller, with sales of 2945 units. The New Polo sold 1704 units in February,” said Mike Glendinning, Director of Sales and Marketing, Volkswagen Group South Africa. The Polo Vivo was launched in March 2010 as an entry-level model for the South African market, replacing the Series 1 Golf-based CitiGolf. Available as both a three or five-door hatchback and four-door booted saloon with 74bhp/84bhp 1.4-litre and 103bhp 1.6-litre petrol engines, two trim levels are available: base and Trendline. Costing from R104,065 for the 1.4 hatchback to R156,220 for the 1.6 Trendline Sedan, the 2011 Polo Vivo is based on the revised version of the Series 4 Polo, built from 2005 to 2009.