Volkswagen Returns to the Super Bowl

FYI: Volkswagen Buyer's Guide

New 60-second ad features the all-new 2012 Beetle, Volkswagen's redesigned icon

HERNDON, VA--Dec. 19, 2011: Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today it will advertise during the Super Bowl® for the third consecutive year. Following the success of last year's two 30- second spots, Volkswagen will premiere one 60-second spot at the beginning of the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVI.

The spot will feature the all-new Beetle, which arrived in dealerships in September. The 2012 Beetle was teased as a silhouette in last year's advertisement, but the iconic redesign is now ready for its Super Bowl close-up.

"Volkswagen is excited to showcase the all-new 2012 Beetle on football's biggest stage. The Super Bowl is the perfect platform to feature the bold, dynamic, and sportiest Beetle ever made," said Tim Mahoney, Chief Product and Marketing Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc.  

Volkswagen enjoyed unprecedented success after last year's Super Bowl spots, "The Force" and "Black Beetle". "The Force", which featured the 2012 Passat and mini Darth Vader, quickly became a pop culture phenomenon when it debuted online before the Super Bowl. It was voted the Number One ad of the year by ADWEEK and continues to be a hit with consumers, racking up more than 45 million views on YouTube.

The overwhelming attention from the commercial piqued interest in the 2012 Passat months before it hit the market. This ensured that the car entered the market with momentum, with more sales in its first two months than the last Passat model sold in all of 2010.

"Black Beetle" teased the all-new Beetle's muscular shape, generating strong interest for the newly redesigned car months before it hit dealerships. The 2012 Beetle is available in two forms: stylish Beetle and sporty Beetle Turbo. All models offer standard technology features such as Bluetooth® and an iPod® interface, heatable front seats, and a 'kaeferfach' secondary glovebox.

More details about the 2012 Volkswagen Super Bowl ad will follow, but expect a fully integrated digital, social media, and grassroots campaign to accompany the spot that will run during one of TV's most-watched events.

About Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen's operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Beetle, Eos, Golf, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Passat, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2012 Volkswagen models come standard-equipped with Electronic Stability Control. This is important because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt.

"VW", "Volkswagen", all model names and the Volkswagen logo are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG. "Bluetooth" is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. "iPod" is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc.  "Super Bowl" is a registered trademark of the National Football League.