There is, actually, no real Branded Entertainment Format in Russia! Compared to other markets like Europe or the United States the approach of advertising in russia is very traditional and not very experiential.

The restrictions and regulations are mainly imposed by TV Stations, broadcasting companies, the government and regulation bodies – so the development of advertising formats lag behind the development in progressive markets.

Overall in this market it’s not a question of regulations, it’s more of a question of mindset.

The plan was very unconventional, clever and daring in the same way: if you can’t reach and cover the worldwide press let the worldwide press come to you! Volkswagen knew that the press was in Sochi. Volkswagen knew that there was a huge interest in the Olympic Games. And last but not least – Volkswagen knew that everybody who is interested in the Olympic Games is also interested in the ranking of the nations in form of the medal count. In addition to that the press is always looking for strong and new images and stories. Therefore the first living and human medal count was a perfect case. Especially because it wasn't a one-off picture – it was relevant and different every day!

The Living Medalcount fascinated up to 400.000 visitors on site as well as many olympic sportsman who were integrated into the medalcount e.g. the german women’s icehockey team and the icehockey team of the czech repuplic. Also many VIPs like Vanessa Mae, Fabio Capello, Gerhard Schröder and Markus Wasmeier were attracted and fasinated by the medalcount.

On top of that the Living Medalcount from Volkswagen reached a worldwide media coverage of 750 million contacts –not with a global campaign, just with a local showcase that was broadcasted by several international TV stations and multiplied and shared by a vast number of newspapers, blogs, online pages and social communities.