Cannes Lions to celebrate VW as Advertiser of the Year
Volkswagen is this year’s Cannes Lions Advertiser of the Year, the organisers of the festival have announced.
The award will be presented at next month’s event.
After winning their first Cannes Lion back in 1961, Volkswagen ads have won nearly 150 Lions across all disciplines, including two Film Grand Prix, two Press Grand Prix, a Promo Grand Prix and a Cyber Grand Prix.
“We are delighted to honour a brand that has loyally supported, and that continues to embrace the creative marketing of its cars throughout the decades allowing its agencies to produce numerous powerful and award winning ads over the years,” said festival chairman Terry Savage. “Volkswagen are a role model to other brands and worthy of this prestigious honour.”
This ad, by DDB London in 2007, is an example of the brand’s brave behaviour. It featured a voiceover of Richard Burton reading Dylan Thomas’s Under Milkwood and simply promoted the idea of driving a VW Golf through a city in the early hours of the morning:
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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I love this ad!
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WOW – it stirs some deep driving emotions and says just enough.
And that voice over, Richard Burton nails it
I know what I am doing tonight – does anyone have a Golf I can borrow – Ill have it back before dawn with a full tank of petrol
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Where can I hire this Richard Burton chap for voiceovers? He’d have a promising career in advertising if he works at it…
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At a time in the world where everyone is looking for the simple in life . . VW kept it simple and brought to our attention the beauty of simplicity, driving alone, with nothing but the stars and our eyes to explore possibilities.
I love this ad – it reminds me to slow down and live! Nice to see a car ad which is not all about power and speed!
They have asked the question . . .”WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU JUST WENT FOR A DRIVE?”
. . And sadly . . I really do not know. But I will this weekend maybe . . when I test drive a new VW???
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I wish VW’s agency in Australia did ads like this rather than the recent golf course one. Time to change shops VW!
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