Volkswagen has turned the keys on an irreverent new campaign aimed directly at consumers in the Quebec market, featuring homegrown celebrity Pier-Luc Funk.
Taking the form of a social content series, the campaign is titled “Pier-Luc Funk in: New Spokesperson” and was produced by Taxi’s bespoke team for Volkswagen, Type 1. It pokes fun at the clichés common to automotive advertising, such as the use of celebrity spokespeople, action stunts and introspective monologues.
“Volkswagen has always challenged the status quo, so it made sense to poke fun at the biggest clichés in our industry,” says Amy Delafontaine, strategic planner with Taxi.
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The campaign specifically targets Quebec consumers, because the province “is a big part of the business for Volkswagen,” which has always been successful in that market, Delafontaine says.
“Its people clearly have a special place in their hearts for the brand,” she adds, also noting that the market – North America’s third-largest for EVs – is primed for Volkswagen’s push toward a fully-electric offering. “Quebec is obviously a key market when it comes to EVs. With the soon-to-be-completed assembly plant in Chattanooga, we’ll get more all-electric ID4s. Plus, all of our major upcoming launches in Canada are 100% electric, like the ID.Buzz.”
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Still, it wasn’t enough simply to plug the electric line. Volkswagen also wanted to connect with consumers through a voice that would be familiar to them – and give that voice their freedom to show some personality.
“We wanted to find a spokesperson that personifies the brand and where we’re going. We’re confident Pier-Luc Funk can bring back that fun and joyful vibe to the brand,” explains Delafontaine. “Especially with EVs around the corner, we want to stay true to ourselves and approach this transition in a true VW way.”
The series consists of eight videos that will be shared on VW’s social media until the end of the year. Romeo & Fils handled production and Touché handled media.
