Volkswagen Calls On Aussie Ute Lovers To Uncover Real Power

Volkswagen and DDB Sydney have created a Mad Max style prototype, breaking all boundaries in traditional ute advertising.
 
The Amarok V6 is the most powerful ute in its class and the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles team tasked DDB Sydney to create a campaign that brought the 'fun' back into driving a 4x4 ute and at the same time challenge some flawed perceptions around the Volkswagen Amarok.
 
The resulting campaign saw the creation of a powerful, off road performance vehicle, the 'Korama', that looked like it belonged in the Dakar Rally, but actually hid a full production Amarok V6 model underneath.

Marketing manager Ralph Beckmann said following the success of the 'Naked Ute', the campaign DDB Sydney created for Volkswagen earlier in 2016, they briefed the agency to continue to disrupt the ute category and get rid of Amarok's old image for good.
 
Says Beckmann: "We couldn't be happier with the campaign, it has everything we wanted - a great demonstration of power, real Australians enjoying the Amarok and a big surprise at the end."
 
DDB Sydney chief creative officer Ben Welsh said it was one of the most ambitious projects he'd ever worked on.
 
Says Welsh: "It took trust and collaboration to turn a great idea into an amazing experience. And it all started when our client came back from a test drive with their hearts still pounding."
 
The campaign was created in partnership with Will O'Rourke/The Glue Society - the team who also worked on 'The Naked Ute'.  The first step was to design and build the Korama, without compromising on the performance of the vehicle. Initial sketches were created by the designer behind the Mad Max vehicles in 'Fury Road', a model was made and then it was straight into construction.
 
Four motoring enthusiasts who fancied that they knew a bit about power were recruited to give the manufacturer feedback before the truth was revealed.
 
The campaign kicked off with a launch film laying out the story through social channels, supported by some digital work, outdoor and print. TVCs will follow in the second phase of the campaign, which will be rolled out in early 2017.
 
The campaign has recently commenced via Facebook and Youtube.
 
Client - Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles
 
Marketing Manager - Ralph Beckmann
Product Marketing Manager - Nick Reid
Retail and Digital Communications Manager - Nathan Johnson
 
Agency - DDB Sydney
Chief Creative Officer - Ben Welsh
Creative Partner - Vincent Osmond
Creative Partner - Jade Manning
Senior Art Director - Ronojoy Ghosh
Senior Art Director - Richard Apps
Senior Writer - Jeff Galbraith
Senior Writer - Richard Taylor
Creative Technology Director - Shaun O'Connor
Managing Partner - Amanda Wheeler
Business Director - Astrid Noble
Business Manager - Madeleine King
Chief Strategy Officer - Fran Clayton
Head of Integrated Content - Sevda Cemo
Social Content Producer - Isabella Harris
Social Content Editor - Fraser Kelton
Senior Print Producer - John Wood
Social Comms Manager - Salil Kumar
Social Content Manager - Lachlan Stewart
Head of Technology - Sean Gardner
Digital Producers - Dan Mulligan, Will Kerr
 
Production Company - Will O'Rourke
Car Design and Project Directors - The Glue Society's Jonathan Kneebone, Luke Nuto
Managing Director/EP - Michael Ritchie
EP/Head of Projects - Josh Mullens
Producer - Ian Iveson
Post Producer - Jasmin Helliar
Production Designer - Enzo Iacono
DOP - Peter Eastgate
Camera Operator - Jordan Maddocks
Behind the Scenes - Will Robertson
 
Post Production - The Glue Society
Editor - The Glue Society's Luke Crethar
Colourist - Scott McLean
VFX/Online - Viv Baker
Studio Producer - Scott Stirling
 
Sound - Rumble Studios
Sound Engineer - Nathanial Joyce
Executive Producer - Michael Gie
Composition - Rumble Studios
 
Photography - Janyon Boshoff
Retouching - Limehouse Creative
Media - Mediacom