Volkswagen Tera Takes a Star Turn in Netflix Originals
Volkswagen’s biggest South American launch in recent memory is now taking a starring role in ‘Money Heist’, ‘Wednesday’, ‘Cobra Kai’, ‘The Witcher’, and the film ‘Persuasion’, in the spot ‘Arrivals,’ created by AlmapBBDO and coproduced with Netflix’s creative team.
This groundbreaking partnership between Volkswagen Brazil and Netflix, the first in Latin America to incorporate several of the platform’s narratives in a single advertising campaign, is a blockbuster production shot entirely in Brazil. The SUVW Tera becomes a character in its own right and is transported into multiple shows and a film in the campaign, with scenes shot 100% in accordance with the authenticity of the Netflix universe, placing Volkswagen’s latest hit at the heart of these epic productions.
“The Volkswagen Tera is arriving in the role it was meant to play: a star of great stories,” said Livia Kinoshita, director of marketing for Volkswagen Brazil and SAM. “And to connect the most important launch in Volkswagen Brazil’s recent history with millions of people across all sorts of worlds and audiences, in an utterly refreshing, authentic, and surprising way, we struck a groundbreaking partnership with Netflix in the platform’s first multi-story campaign in Latin America. ‘Arrivals’ features the SUVW Tera as the star of Money Heist, Wednesday, Cobra Kai, The Witcher, and Persuasion. We used an innovative fusion of real life, fiction, and entertainment to introduce the Tera, a car that’s an irresistible invitation for anyone looking for incredible stories in shows, on the streets, and in their life.”
“The launch of the SUVW Tera represents one of the most daring, innovative, and creative strategies Volkswagen Brazil has ever employed,” said Ciro Possobom, president and CEO of Volkswagen Brazil. “Our goal is to be a brand that’s increasingly human and a part of people’s lives; that’s why we connected the model to entertainment and contemporary lifestyles. It all started with a teaser of the new Tera at Rock in Rio 2024, with the SUVW camouflaged behind an LED glass curtain. Our unorthodox avant-première saw the Tera gliding through Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Sambadrome. We were the first manufacturer to unveil a car during Carnival, the biggest celebration of its kind anywhere in the world. Then came the launch at C6 Fest, at Ibirapuera Park, followed by the biggest launch sale in Volkswagen’s history: we received over 12,000 orders in 50 minutes, a testament to our strategy and the strength of our network of dealerships. Now, this campaign and its groundbreaking partnership with Netflix have come to cap off the Tera’s wildly successful ride.”
The film ‘Arrivals,’ by AlmapBBDO, celebrates the Tera as Volkswagen’s newest icon, putting its concept in step with contemporary pop culture and transporting the car to instantly recognisable Netflix worlds, with shots in which the SUVW’s arrival becomes an iconic entrance scene. The idea is to reinforce that whenever the Tera arrives, it’s unforgettable.
In shaping the campaign, Netflix’s creative excellence ensured the best use of its powerful content, always focusing on fans’ connection to what makes each story so special. And since the initiative involved shows and a film from three different countries, Netflix offices from across the world were called in to provide insights on what represented the essence of each production.
“At Netflix, we believe in the power of stories to connect people, cultures, and generations,” said Fernanda Guimarães, Netflix’s brand partnerships director. “When brands step into these narrative worlds in a way that’s authentic and creative, they can have a tremendous impact. The Tera campaign with Volkswagen is a clear example of how entertainment and advertising can join forces in a genuine way to create something that goes far beyond viewers’ screens. This wasn’t just product placement, it was a collaboration between creatives at AlmapBBDO, Volkswagen, and our creative team, who work to help agencies and brands explore the best of Netflix to tell new stories – and capture our members’ attention in the process. By dialoguing directly with the fandoms of shows such as Wednesday, Money Heist, and The Witcher, we were able to build both cultural and emotional relevance. That’s what makes the campaign so powerful: it leverages audience engagement and uses Netflix’s unique assets – our stories and our fans – to forge a real connection between brand and audience.”
The campaign’s creative concept – “Just from the entrance, you can tell it’s an icon. Introducing the Volkswagen Tera. A new icon for your new era” – also speaks to the mission of presenting the SUVW Tera with a triumphant entrance. This model 100% designed, developed, and produced in Brazil makes Volkswagen the first brand in the nation to offer exclusive automotive AI, with a combination of cutting-edge technology, safety, and a competitive price. This is, without a doubt, Volks’ latest icon.
“Our inspiration was an epic entrance scene, when all the attention and all the eyes turn to the protagonist. Volkswagen has always had iconic cars, like the Beetle and the Gol. The new Tera has that same aura, as the SUV that’s kicking off a completely new segment for Volks in Brazil,” explain AlmapBBDO creative directors Francis Alan França and Gustavo Tasselli. “That’s why it made all the sense in the world to let it shine in the context of some of Netflix’s biggest and best-known productions.”
SUVW Tera sets a new record: over 12,000 orders in 50 minutes
The newly launched SUVW Tera is already a sales phenomenon! Volkswagen Brazil shocked the market with stunning turnout: over 12,000 orders of the new Tera in just 50 minutes. In the brand’s biggest “Open Doors” sales event in its history, on June 5 at Volkswagen’s 473 dealerships across Brazil, the SUVW Tera proved from day one of sales that it’s the newest icon from VW. Click here to find out more.
