2018 Brand Experience & Activation

THE BLIND PHOTOGRAPHER

TitleTHE BLIND PHOTOGRAPHER
BrandVOLKSWAGEN AG
Product/ServiceVOLKSWAGEN ARTEON
Category A05. Automotive
Entrant GRABARZ & PARTNER Hamburg, GERMANY
Idea Creation GRABARZ & PARTNER Hamburg, GERMANY
Media Placement PHD GERMANY Frankfurt, GERMANY
Production BUBBLES FILM Berlin, GERMANY
Production 2 SOHO ALTONA POSTPRODUCTION Hamburg, GERMANY
Production 3 BLUT Hamburg, GERMANY
Production 4 WIDE PRODUCTION HAMBURG, GERMANY
Additional Company VOLKSWAGEN Wolfsburg, GERMANY
Credits
Name Company Position
Ralf Heuel Grabarz & Partner CCO
Reinhard Patzschke Grabarz & Partner CEO
Tobias Ahrens Grabarz & Partner Group CD
Julijus Rebic Grabarz & Partner Creative Director
Roman Jonsson Grabarz & Partner Creative Director
Svein Olsen Grabarz & Partner Art Director
Navid Shahabi Grabarz & Partner Art Director
Artur Schäfer Grabarz & Partner Art Director
Erwin Lorenz Grabarz & Partner Art Director
Sandra Kemmer Grabarz & Partner Copywriter
Tim Berger Grabarz & Partner Copywriter
Tim Heller Grabarz & Partner Copywriter
Phillip von Schwerin Grabarz & Partner Copywriter
Dirk Lanio Grabarz & Partner Group Head Digital
Ina Croissier Grabarz & Partner Etatdirektor Digital
Garnet Matthiesen, Anusha Atreya Grabarz & Partner Art Buying
Felix Otterski, Vanessa Barz Grabarz & Partner Graphic Designer
Axel Doepner, Michael Güntner Grabarz & Partner Agency Producer
Felix Albers, Ann-Katrin Erich Grabarz & Partner Motion Design
Valerie Gast, Oliver Waldmann Grabarz & Partner Strategy
Xavier Chardon Volkswagen AG Marketing Director Volkswagen
Jutta Friese Volkswagen AG Head of Content Management
Mirja Schneider Volkswagen AG Head of Website Content & Digital Communication
Hicran Tekin Volkswagen AG Project Management Website Content & Digital Communication
Bubbles Film GmbH Bubbles Film GmbH Film Production
TJ O’Grady Bubbles Film GmbH Director
soho-altona soho-altona Post Production
Timo Blunk BLUT Hamburg Music
Pete Eckert - Photographer Artworks
David Daub Wildfox running Social Media Photographer

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation ?

The new Arteon marked Volkswagen’s first time launching a fastback-saloon. The car appealed to a new target audience: design and art lovers. We found a striking solution to introduce the new model in a way that was truly unseen for Volkswagen.

Background

With the new Arteon, Volkswagen launched a new model on the market in 2017 that appeals to a brand new target group: design lovers. And it was precisely this group that we wanted to convince of the beauty of our new fastback-saloon.

Describe the creative idea

We show the new Arteon and its fascinating design in a hitherto completely unseen way: with pictures shot by the blind photographer Pete Eckert.

Describe the strategy

The new Arteon marked Volkswagen’s first time launching a fastback-saloon. The car appealed to a new target audience: design and art lovers. To convince them that the Arteon is beautiful in every sense, we had it shot by the blind photographer, Pete Eckert. A documentary showed the photoshoot of the new Arteon with Pete as he approached it on his own. Photos were created with his touch, hearing and analogue camera, that were shown as varying online formats, in advertorials, Out of Home and digital SnapAds. They proved you don't need eyes to see beauty. Because the Arteon touches all senses.

Describe the execution

To show how the Arteon’s beauty can be felt through all senses, we enlisted the help of the blind photographer, Pete Eckert. A documentary showing the photoshoot of the new Arteon with Pete was the heart of a integrated campaign. Overall, our campaign was spread to many platforms: the Arteon web special, Volkswagen YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, SnapAds and Adressable TV. For the international market, we also focused on TV and cinema (specific to the UK), and for Germany we also made print adverts, advertorials, editorials, OOH, TV, and cinema. The documentary was adapted in over 50 different formats and distributed in over 20 countries. And with each and every touchpoint the project proved that you don't need eyes to see beauty. Because the new Arteon touches all the senses.

List the results

The online documentary was viewed 11,000,000 times on Facebook alone, while the whole campaign generated over 260,000 showroom visits and 75,000 successfully configured Arteons: a conversion rate increase from 11% to 15%.