Brief Explanation

Volkswagen wanted to be perceived as a more innovative car brand. So in 2011, Volkswagen launched the People’s Car Project to inspire Chinese people to create new ideas for cars. Our goal was to attract a massive following of online users to help Volkswagen reimagine the future of cars. People with no engineering or car design background got to see their car ideas come to life. By asking the people to reimagine the future of cars, Volkswagen once again became the people’s car. In 2012, Volkswagen celebrated the people by turning their ideas into reality. Over 140,000 ideas were submitted. The winning ideas came to life as tangible products, short films and showcases at major Chinese auto shows. The Hover Car, a winning idea from a girl in Chengdu, inspired Volkswagen to reimagine the future of cars. Volkswagen applied magnetic levitation technology to her idea, turning it into a concept car. Next, we celebrated her idea by dedicating a film to her, featuring the girl’s parents test-driving the Hover Car. The film was finally revealed to her at a fake movie screening, where her friends, family, and a flash mob made an appearance. Online audiences followed her journey on Chinese video platforms. Together with the people, Volkswagen continued to innovate by launching the Music Car and the Intelligent Key at the Beijing Auto Show. The film got 18 million views online, inspiring users to analyze the technology behind the idea. The story caught the attention of the local and international press, making the Hover Car the benchmark for future automotive designs. The people recognized Volkswagen for listening to them, eventually transforming Volkswagen from a conventional car company to an innovative one. The Hover Car caught the attention of the local and international press, including the New York Times, Forbes, The Huffington Post, and ChinaDaily, earning an equivalent of 80 million rmb in media impressions.* Volkswagen became #1 in online presence amongst all car brands* and the #1 most talked about car brand on Chinese social media.** The film received 18 million views online, increasing idea submissions by 17,000 and website registrations by 21,000. By giving people like Wang Jia a chance to voice their creativity, Volkswagen is now perceived as innovative by 70% of the people.*** *Source: t+d/B.I.G. Opinion Mining Tool **Based on representative online survey among Chinese car owners and purchase intenders n=1696. Source: t+d/Millward Brown; 07/2011 ***Source: DPTS Online Survey April 2011