VW Polo - Game On

Volkswagen Polo - Game On

Challenge:

We needed to launch the new Polo with IQ.DRIVE, a car aimed at a digitally integrated audience who make up the largest population of gamers, crypto owners and adblocker users.

With 49% using adblockers, we needed to play by different rules with a game of our own.

Idea:

Introducing Game On. An interactive campaign that turned our advertising into a gamified, online hunt for this audience’s most treasured currency – NFTs.

We started by transforming the city of Johannesburg into an African corner of the metaverse. We then worked with the leading NFT trading platform, OpenSea, to develop a collection of NFTs inspired by these very streets,

and designed to help fans level up in real and meta world.

We then hid them amongst our advertising and invited fans to find the NFTs through a scavenger hunt across social media.

Results:

This campaign set a new benchmark for engagement in the attention economy as millions who avoid ads, were now watching our ad over and over again, whilst turning their social feeds into free ad space for the new Polo.

The campaign was embraced by a niche target audience, leading to VW exceeding sales targets and selling out of the new Polo.

Case Film

Online Film

VFX Build

NFT Collection

We worked with NFT platform, OpenSea, to develop a collection of individually made NFTs we called the “Manzsiverse”, Mzansi being the slang term for South Africa. The collection consisted of 5 chapters, each inspired by the many different styles found in gaming, the metaverse and South African street culture.

The sub-sections are: Pixel Playground, Neon, Holos, 8-Bit players, Vending Machine Balls

We housed the “Mzansiverse” on the Polygon blockchain due it having the lowest gas fees and energy usage, ensuring the collection had virtually no impact on the environment and our audience’s wallet.

NFT Range - Design Journey

To create the collection we looked to fuse elements from South African culture with visual iconography from the gaming and metaverse worlds. From the neon signage found on the streets of Joburg and the characters who run it (Slay Queens, Jozi gym couples, Taxi Bosses), to the hand signs people use when communicating with the taxis, the local wildlife (Lion, Hadeda) and pests likes the Parktown prawn which we turned into a localized version of Space Invaders.

For designs and textures, we drew inspiration from the patterns used by the Ndebele tribe and combined them with the 8-bit pixel style to create an Afrofuturistic pattern which we carried through the campaign. We applied the 8-bit style to local settings, turning them into pixel playgrounds frequented by our audience, these included “Spaza” corner shops, the creative hub of the Maboneng precinct, and the car wash which is firmly rooted in South African car culture as a social setting.

Campaign User Journey

Trailers

We released a series of trailers designed to look like a new game was loading across social.

Teaser

We then released teaser posts, that drove people to a microsite where our audience discovered the competition - A 5-Day treasure hunt across social media for a collection of NFTs.

Clue

We released the first clue to the whereabouts of the NFT, through posts across social (Twitter, FB, Instagram)

Ad with Embedded NFT

Our audience needed to decipher the clue, and track down the NFT hidden in the online ad.

Consumer Entry

Fans needed to tweet a screenshot of the exact frame where the NFT is hidden in the ad,

to @VolkswagenSA using the campaign tags #GameOnVW #NewPolo

Reveal Post

The first 20 correct entries won that day’s NFT.

At the end of each day we released a post revealing the NFT and winners who tracked it down.

NFT on OpenSea

After each day, we minted that day’s collection of NFTs and housed them on the OpenSea platform.

At the end of the hunt, we airdropped the NFTs to the winners.

Accolades

Effies

Gold - Social Media - VW Polo “Game On”
Silver - Automotive - VW Polo “Game On”
Silver - Experiential Live & Digital - VW Polo “Game On”

Clios
Silver - Digital/Mobile & Social Media Craft – VW Polo “Game On”

One Show
Merit – Interactive & Mobile Craft – VW Polo “Game On”

LIA (London International Awards)

Bronze - Creativity in the Metaverse - VW "Game On"

Loeries

Gold - Creative Effectiveness

Gold - Social Media - VW Polo "Game On"
Craft Gold - Digital Use Of Technology - "Game On"
Craft Gold - Animation - "Game On"
Silver - Design Mixed Media - "Game On"
Silver - Online Film - VW Polo "Game On"
Bronze - Media Innovation - VW Polo "Game On"
Bronze - Integrated Campaign - VW Polo "Game On"
Craft Certificate - Film Use of Technology - "Game On"

Bookmarks
Gold – Social Media Campaigns – Polo “Game On”
Gold – Digital Integrated Campaign – “Game On”
Gold – Craft Interactive Design – “Game On”
Silver - Craft Strategy – “Game On”
Silver – Craft Online Production – “Game On”
Bronze – Digital Content Marketing – “Game On”

New Gen Awards
Gold - Best Revenue Generating Campaign
Gold - Best Online competition
Gold - Most Innovative use of social
Gold - Most innovation gamification campaign
Gold - Excellence in Content Marketing
Silver - Best Integrated Marketing Campaign
Gold - Most Viral Campaign
Gold - Best use of Technical Innovation
Gold - Most innovative social and digital media

Ad of the Month
1st - Motion & Digital Graphic Design - VW "Game On"
1st - Integrated - VW "Game On"
1st - Film - VW "Game On"

Full Credits:

Client: Volkswagen South Africa

Product: New Polo with IQ.DRIVE

Title: Game On
Agency: Ogilvy Cape Town

Marketing Communications Manager: Bridget Harpur, Meredith Kelly
Brand Manager: Loryn Symons
Brand Consultant: Neo Nkosi
Brand Consultant: Salusiwe Qomfo
Chief Executive Officer & Creative Chairman: Pete Case

Executive Creative Director: Camilla Clarke
Creative Director / Copywriter: Alex Goldberg

Assc Creative Director / Art Director: Riaan van Wyk
Senior Art Director: Melissa Raath

Art Director: Annie Bekker

Copywriter: Dom Swiegers, Jacques Massardo

Group head, 3D motion designer: Neill Pretorius

Junior motion designer: Nina Roodbol

Design Creative: Jesse Mason
Managing Partner: Alexis Ede
Business Director: Muriel Gouws
Head of Broadcast: Cathy Day

Project Manager: Melissa Forgus

Digital Strategist: Alex Goldberg
Production Company: Patriot
Director: Sam Coleman
Exec Producer: Zayd Halim
Senior Producer: Tess Tambourlas
Production Manager: Kelly Ryan
Director of Photography: Rory O’Grady
Drone team: FC Hamman
Art Director: Keenan McAdam
Props Master: Cara Falken
Stylist: Amy Zama
Make-up Artist: Tammi Mbambo
Hairstylist: Mimi Duma
VFX & animation: Polycat Visual Effects
VFX supervisor / Animation Director: Goddy Roodt

VFX TD: Lloyd Wilgen

VFX Artist: Conor Louw

Production Designer & Art Director: Caylin Roodt

Production Coordinator: Tamzyn Johannes

Lighting supervisor: Daniel Du Plessis

Junior lighting artist: Sian Blackbeard, Bazil Power, Michael Kleynhans, Emma Somers

Rigging supervisor: Ruan Myburgh

Rigging Artist: Conor Louw

Asset Creation Lead: Arzel Vorster

Asset Creator: Elia Toulouras

Junior Asset Creator: Zandri Shepherd

Animator: Julia Coull, Maya Kahanovitz, Jacobus Boshoff

Compositing Supervisor: Wicus Labuschagne

Compositing lead: Nicholas Mackay

Compositing artist: Alain De Klerk, Carmia Naude

Pipeline supervisor: Roger Wellard
Post Production: Priest
Editor: Matthew Swanepoel

Content Editor: Amelia Cohen
Producer: Michelle Duvenage
Grade: The Refinery
Colourist: Kyle Stroebel
Online: Priest
Online VFX Artist: Nathan Anderson
Music: Field
Composer: Nic van Reenen & Simon Kohler
Audio: Resonate Audio

Sound Engineer: Rob Brinkworth
Musician: Moonchild Sanelly

NFT Consultant: MetaLabsAfrica

NFT Producer: Tyrone Rubin

NFT Producer: Brendan Louw

VW Polo - Game On

Owners

VW Polo - Game On

Creative Fields