PHD India partnered with evo India magazine to bring to life a campaign that demonstrated the power of the Volkswagen Taigun and highlighted its one-year journey in a new way.
To showcase the SUVW’s distinctive characteristics, sturdiness and perseverance, PHD India together with EVO, conceptualised the ‘Border Patrol’ campaign that shines a light on its features and puts its safety and endurance to the test.
The idea behind the campaign involved taking the Taigun on a challenging 579-km journey through the unmapped terrain of the Bharatmala road in the Rajasthan sector, along the borders of Pakistan.
From dusk to dawn, the four variants of the Taigun powered through sandy and snowy routes to reach its final destination, setting a national record in the India Book of Records for the longest drive along the Western border and establishing a high performance and safety benchmark for the segment.
Abbey Thomas, Head of Marketing at Volkswagen, flagged off the epic event and the evo India team, led by Sirish Chandran, undertook the journey while Team PHD took on the reins of the marketing strategy.
Monaz Todywalla, CEO of PHD Media India, part of the Omnicom Media Group, commented, “As challenger brands, both Volkswagen and PHD Media share a highly ambitious mindset, and redefining the status quo is in our DNA. It was an exciting opportunity for us to execute a campaign that draws inspiration from this viewpoint and help Volkswagen create unparalleled experiences unlike any other.”
Shailja Saraswati, Chief Content Officer at Omnicom Media Group India, stated, “Milestones are a terrific moment to spark joy, and as celebrations go, nothing speaks volumes like a stand-out immersive experience that draws audiences in. The Border Patrol campaign is an ode to Volkswagen's journey in India and captures Taigun's 'hustle mode' with evocative storytelling of heroic stories and pizzazz!”
Thomas said, “The Volkswagen Taigun is our most admired models by virtue of being the first SUVW made with love in India, for the Indian market. Our goal is to stay true to our roots and create a slick SUV built on the core DNA of Brand Volkswagen. The hustle that could take on the most challenging terrains in India with ease while delivering the highest level of safety and comfort. To showcase its capabilities and celebrate the first anniversary, we needed to go the extra mile and do something out of the ordinary. Thanks to PHD Media and evo India, we delivered an experience that is off the beaten track and puts the spotlight on the unmatched endurance and performance of the Volkswagen Taigun.”
Chandran said, “Our partnership with Volkswagen and PHD India enabled us to carry out a thrilling campaign that we were glad to be a part of. Having the opportunity to do something we had never done before was an exciting prospect in itself. Undertaking such a challenging but exciting journey and setting a new national record in the process was an experience unlike any other. We knew it was not going to be easy, but the Taigun’s capabilities on the road far exceeded our expectations and made it an unforgettable journey unlike any other.”
From setting a new national record and creating a buzz on social media, the campaign attracted much attention. Garnering over 50K views in just two days and eliciting exciting reactions from the viewers, PHD Media and evo India’s efforts to spotlight Volkswagen and the Taigun’s powerful performance on uncharted terrain is surely one for the books.
Credits:
Volkswagen:
Abbey Thomas, Head of Marketing and PR
Gagan Mangal, Deputy General Manager, Lead – Volkswagen Brand Communications
pHd Media and OMG Content (Omnicom Media Group):
Monaz Todywalla, CEO, pHd India
Dinesh Vyas, Managing Partner, pHd India
Rrahul Deo Manerao, Associate Vice-President, pHd India
Chetan Sawant, Director, pHd India
Shailja Saraswati, Chief Content Officer, OMG
Apurva Sritava, Group Head – Content, OMG
EVO:
Sirish Chandran, Editorial Director
Aatish Mishra, Assistant Editor