Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and BBH Launch Giant SAD Lamp Billboard to Brighten Blue Monday

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and BBH are brightening up Blue Monday by launching a first-of-its-kind billboard that acts as a giant SAD Lamp. 

The installation is part of a campaign for the new all-electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz, which was launched at the start of December and is available currently as a five-seat people-carrier and cargo van. 

This giant SAD lamp, near Waterloo station, emits light that mimics the sun and its positive, mood-lifting effects, illuminating a cold, overcast January day with some very welcome vitamin D. SAD lamps can be used to help individuals with (winter-onset) Seasonal Affective Disorder – a type of depression that occurs primarily during the winter as a result of the reduced levels of daylight. Positioned at Sutton Walk bridge, commuters and passers-by will be able to pause and recharge in front of the billboard, which is powered by 100% renewable electric energy from Green Voltage UK. 

The idea was inspired by the new, all-electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz. With its heritage steeped in the positive vibes of the sixties, this van has sunshine in its DNA. As Volkswagen's first ever fully electric van, we thought it only fitting to use it as a source of positive energy. 

Using the same SAD technology used on desks and in the home, the billboard is made up of lots of smaller SAD lamps and designed to radiate positivity by mimicking sunlight. The installation, which invites people to “Recharge Here”, will run on Monday January 16th - making Blue Monday a little less blue. 

The billboard was devised by BBH and created in collaboration with a team of engineers and designers at The Glue Society. 

Laura Bignall, brand and performance manager at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles said, “We’re likely all too familiar with the challenges surrounding the New Year, with Blue Monday often considered particularly trying. This is why we wanted to brighten the days of those passing-by with our SAD lamp installation and all-electric ID. Buzz - whose smile is infectious!” 

Stuart Royall, creative director at Bartle Bogle Hegarty said, "We all miss the sun at this time of year. But by turning a billboard into the world’s largest SAD lamp, we wanted to give passers-by the next best thing. Just like the ID. Buzz itself, with its iconic design and Californian heritage, it’s like a little ray of (electric) sunshine."