We simulated the Emergency City Break with bowling balls, making the balls “brake” before they hit the pins and creating a visual metaphor for what would happen if the ball were a car.

We had to simulate the Emergency City Brake on bowling balls. That is to say: we needed to find a way for the ball to brake before it hit the pins. And we found a way to do it – we had bowling balls made with metal in them. Then we put a layer of wood over a strong magnetic strip that would attract the ball, keeping it from veering out of place. The strip was controlled by a control center, which activated its magnetic power at certain points. The demonstration was carried out over the course of 4 weekends at a bowling alley in São Paulo, Brazil.

We managed to impact a number of families in Brazil, both through the demonstration and by publicizing the demonstration online. At the bowling alley alone, we managed to impact over 400 families. This made the demand for the cars increase at dealerships, as well as boosting traffic on Volkswagen’s site, which rose 15% in the days after the event. And, most importantly – we managed to tell Brazil in an entertaining way that Volkswagen’s cars are safe for families, and that this is what’s really important for the brand.