Volkswagen Middle East has launched a full-funnel campaign to position its SUV lineup not just as vehicles, but as reliable companions that anchor emotional moments in their owners’ lives.
Creatively developed in partnership with Cheil and produced by Create Production, the campaign builds on the insight that Volkswagen Middle East’s audience tend to live beyond convention. Answering the brief to showcase the versatility of Volkswagen SUVs, the campaign aimed to convey a clear message: regardless of your interests or activities, Volkswagen has an SUV tailored to provide comfort and confidence on every journey.
“We understand that love can manifest in many forms, with everyone experiencing it differently,” said Yasmin Acherir, Account Director at Cheil. “Inspired by this realisation, we developed our campaign to celebrate and support the diverse expressions of love that resonate with our audience. By doing so, we hope to connect with them on a meaningful level and acknowledge the unique ways in which they express their passions and commitments.”
The campaign includes four spots for each of Volkswagen’s SUV models, meticulously designed to cater to a variety of lifestyles and needs.
“For instance, the adventure-ready Tiguan appeals to those who seek excitement and outdoor exploration, while the spacious and comfortable seven-seater Teramont is perfect for larger families or group outings,” said Acherir. “Additionally, the premium model Touareg offers a premium experience for those who prioritise quality, style, and comfort in their vehicle choice,” she added.
“Above all, the campaign is meant to tap into the sentiment ‘It’s a Different Kind of Love’ as it showcases humans driving along their daily commutes to weekend plans and everything in between, the moments we spend in our cars often become part of life’s most meaningful stories,” she explained.
Campaign strategy
Volkswagen Middle East designed ‘It’s a Different Kind of Love’ to resonate with its target audience through a phased approach, using “tailored content for each Volkswagen SUV, focusing on the specific interests and activities that resonate with its audience,” said Acherir.
“Our relatable stories highlighted the unique strengths of each vehicle, effectively engaging potential customers,” Acherir said, explaining that “the campaign was divided into two phases, creating content around popular passion points such as sports, food, road trips, and camping.”
“This thoughtful approach enabled us to establish a deeper and more authentic connection with our audience,” she said.
Rolled out through various channels, the campaign’s primary focus was to engage with social media, digital platforms, and point of sale (POS) materials, “with the aim of engaging our audience to the best of our ability,” Acherir explained.
The automotive brand also collaborated with influencers within the region such as Lea Sfeir, Kat Lebrasse, Annabell Newman, Dalia El Ali, and Dina Al Sharif.
“Working with lifestyle influencers across each model, brought together our campaign and portrayed the sentiment and key messaging behind the campaign on a social scale,” said Madlen Gruschka, Brand Marketing Manager at Volkswagen Middle East.
Regarding market roll-out, the campaign is presently running in seven geographies: the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Jordan. It will run for six weeks for each upcoming wave. The second wave will commence in the first week of September.
Campaign results
According to Gruschka, the latest work from Volkswagen Middle East has been incredibly successful in the first phase of its roll-out.
Explaining how the campaign’s success metrics have been defined she said: “This is a comprehensive full-funnel campaign with key performance indicators (KPIs) clearly defined throughout the entire customer journey.”
“We focus on various stages, including reach, engagement, and lead generation for test drives. We evaluate performance by comparing it against industry standards as well as our own past campaigns, allowing us to identify areas for improvement and capitalise on successful strategies,” she added.
In terms of hard metrics, Madlen said: “the campaign has generated 98 million impressions and 30 million completed video views, achieving a record-high video completion rate of 34 per cent” in just three weeks since its launch.
“Additionally, our cost per lead has improved by 26% month-on-month, indicating effective targeting and resource efficiency,” Madlen concluded.
Credits:
Client: Volkswagen Middle East
Marketing & PR Director: Virginie Ludmer
Brand Marketing Manager: Madlen Gruschka
PR Marketing Manager: Maha Najem
Creative Agency: Cheil
Creative Director: James Tan
Associate Creative Director: David Sanchez Calderon
Sr. English Copywriter: Ritabrata Saha
Head of Arabic: Hussein Kaddaha
Arabic Copywriter: Tamara Osman
Art Director: Liliana Parrales
Digital Designer: Amina Khan
Digital Producer: Naeem Hussain
Sr. Art Director: Mark Pinga
Sr. Motion Designer: Laura Mahmoud
Creative Services Manager: Santosh Singh
Account Director: Yasmin Acherir
Sr. Account Manager: Gabrielle Abou Zeid
Production: Create Team
Social Team
Business Director: Vanessa Miranda
Performance Director: Sujeet Singh
Senior Account Manager: Sandeep Asrani
Production Team
CCO: Dia Hassan
Head of Production: Shona Royston
Senior Producer: Jack Wilkinson
Prod. Manager: Georges Khalaf
Prod Coordinator: Kazandra Valencia
Production Assistant: Walid Wazir
Production Assistant: Weam Daaji
Medic: Bryan Gatdula
Direction
Director: Cameron Goold
Assistant Director: Ryan Domigpe
Second AD: Matt Sheel
Photography
Photographer: Ziga Mihelcic
Camera
DOP: Mason Prendergast
Focus Puller: Roland Abu Diwan
2nd AC: Ahmed Issa
2nd Unit DOP: Amir Saqer
2nd Unit DP: Jad Saabi
2nd Unit 1st AC: Zaven Barsoumian
2nd Unit 2nd AC: Rawan
DIT: Charbel Zoghbi
VTO: Fady Kassouf
Sound Recordist: Ed Sheffield
Lighting
Gaffer: Roland Baghdady
Best Boy: Eddy Maroun
Grip
Key Grip: Bojan Tumic
BB Grip: Petar Dordevic
Art Department
Art Director: Maria Villegas
Props Master: Ilya Zykov
Hair & Makeup
Hair & Makeup Artist: Vivian Lu
Wardrobe
Wardrobe Stylist: Rami Hajj
Wardrobe Assistant: Klaudia Grochowska
Veil Artist: Amal Essa
Wardrobe Van Driver: Lahiru
Post Production
Etem Oz
Aaron Sugay
Amir Saqer
Ferlan Racaza
Location
Location Manager: Naser Noman
Location Manager: Sherie Mangaser