VW Crafts a Space Oddity to Celebrate Moon Landing Anniversary

Volkswagen of America has announced the continuation of its 'Drive Bigger' campaign with a new film, 'A New Mission,' which focuses on the cultural similarities and significance of man landing on the moon in 1969 and humankind’s environmental consciousness 50 years later in 2019. 

“Volkswagen has been part of some of America’s most indelible moments. The moon landing 50 years ago was one of them,” said Leo Premutico, co-founder and CCO of Johannes Leonardo, the creative agency who worked on the campaign. “With ‘A New Mission’ we’re tapping into those historic minutes when man touched down on the moon in order to remind the world of what we’re capable of when we all focus on one goal and also declare humankind’s new mission – protecting the only home we currently know.”

'A New Mission' features one of David Bowie’s earliest recorded versions of 'Space Oddity' from 1969, which was commercially released in its true context for the first time on vinyl and streaming services this month. The film also includes footage from around the world conveying the unification that landing on the moon brought to humankind in 1969 and weaves in the shift back to Earth in 2019 to highlight Volkswagen’s efforts to rally people to support this mission. 

Additionally, the campaign includes a print advertisement celebrating the moon landing featuring the iconic Volkswagen Bus of the 1960s alongside the ID. BUZZ Concept, which represents Volkswagen’s future electric fleet and the goal of becoming carbon neutral globally by 2050.

“As the world's largest automaker, we have a responsibility to lead by example and through the ‘Drive Bigger’ platform, look at this cultural achievement of putting a man on the moon through a new lens,” said Jim Zabel, senior vice president of marketing for Volkswagen of America. “As we take the substantial steps toward our goal of going carbon neutral globally by 2050, and Volkswagen's role in ushering in a new era of electric driving, we invite all to join us to a reinvigorated focus on our planet.”

For Volkswagen, 'Drive Bigger' is a long-term vision for the brand in the U.S., built around responsibility, innovation and how a major automaker can credibly contribute to the greater good. The Volkswagen Group has set a target of global carbon neutrality across its vehicles, production and administration by 2050, and embraces the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. By 2025, the company plans on reducing the carbon footprint of our fleet’s lifecycle by 30% compared to 2015. 

'A New Mission' is the latest installment of the fully integrated national and regional 'Drive Bigger' campaign and includes print, digital and social assets.