This film was created specifically to air during the Super Bowl, which is the most-watched live television event in America every year. It’s the ideal moment and medium to tell the American public an emotional story about the Volkswagen brand.

Volkswagen once had a consistent track record of airing films in the Super Bowl. The brand didn’t merely show up in this monumental media moment — it often won the night with the most-talked about and most-loved Super Bowl advertising in America.

When VW was caught cheating on its emissions tests in 2015, US vehicle sales and brand sentiment plummeted overnight. While sales eventually returned to healthier levels by the early 2020s, sentiment lagged. The organization was timid about taking the big leap off the sidelines of American culture to go back under the bright lights of the Super Bowl stage. Until 2024.

Electric vehicle growth had started to slow in the US auto market. VW had one electric model already at dealerships, with two more arriving later in 2024. Starting the year strong by restoring positive sentiment for the brand was essential. We had to seize this last remaining opportunity when the entire country’s eyes and attention is fixed on the same thing. And the ads aren’t skipped.

The fierce competition of the Super Bowl makes it impossible to stand out. Most brands bring ads filled with celebrities, stunts and surprises. Because VW had been absent from the Super Bowl for a decade, we chose instead to craft a sweeping legacy piece underpinned by a simple truth: everyone has a Volkswagen story, whether you grew up with a Beetle in your driveway, or punched your brother in the backseat when one drove by on a road trip.

Set to Neil Diamond’s “I am… I said,” our film tells a classic underdog tale. The Beetle — a small, funny-looking foreigner — arrives in America full of hope and intimidation, initially struggling to make it. Once it finds its people, everything changes. We flash forward through various eras of cars, the communities that embraced them, and moments in history and pop culture that turned this immigrant into an American icon. The story culminates in a full-circle moment, a baton pass from Beetle to the new all-electric ID. Buzz that invites a new generation to shape Volkswagen in the electric era.

2024 is an important year for Volkswagen of America. It opened with the 75th Anniversary of the Beetle’s arrival to the US and concludes with the arrival of ID. Buzz, one of the most anticipated vehicles in automotive history. Away from the zeitgeist for years, VW asked us to reignite love for the brand to prime the market for this important launch.

Our approach was to seize America’s grandest stage — the Super Bowl — to deliver a love letter to the people. We dispensed with expected celebrity-fueled bombast to convey the brand’s appreciation to the American people for turning a humble bit of sheet metal into an icon.

Inspired positive sentiment of VW again

- #2 most-liked Super Bowl ad of the night (AceMetrics/iSpot)

- Highest-ever recorded nostalgia score (AceMetrics/iSpot)

- “Made me smile”...“love”…“joy” were reactions from the majority of viewers (Internal study)

Sparked engagement in the face of tough Super Bowl competition

- Highest-ever single-day visits to VW.com

- #1 most engaged brand night of the Super Bowl (EDO)

- 4x better engagement than the next highest automaker

Drove interest in Volkswagen’s EV lineup ahead of our big launches

- Double-digit gains in awareness VW makes electric vehicles (Harris Poll)

- 320% increase in searches for ID.4 on leading shopping site (KelleyBlueBook.com)

Attracted a new generation to the brand

- 14pt lift in brand likability among non-owners (Harris Poll)

- 77% of Millennials/Gen Z say it made them more likely to trust VW (Internal study)