VW | SunMatrix Ramble

VW GTI Banner Race: Chase a Car Across the Web

Volkswagen Netherlands set out to launch the new GTI in a way that feels fast before anyone even touches the accelerator. The result is an online race staged inside banner advertising, but mapped onto the physical logic of the real world.

Four popular Dutch websites are painted as the runway of an airport, each banner space measuring 20 metres wide and 25 metres long. On race day, 13th September, participants chase the GTI as it speeds through the banner spaces of each site. The person fast enough to catch the new GTI wins the car in real life.

When banners stop being static and start behaving like space

The mechanism is a reframing of banner advertising. Instead of isolated rectangles, the banners become connected terrain. Each site represents a segment of runway. Movement between banners creates the illusion of distance, speed, and progression.

The GTI does not just appear. It moves. And because it moves, the user has a reason to stay alert, react quickly, and treat the banner as something to engage with rather than ignore.

In digital launch campaigns, turning passive media into an environment with rules is often the fastest way to earn attention without buying more impressions.

Why speed and scarcity do the heavy lifting

This works because it borrows from racing psychology. There is a single target. There is a clear win condition. And there is scarcity. Only one person catches the GTI. That tension transforms passive browsing into a moment of competition.

The prize is not symbolic. Winning the actual car anchors the experience in reality, which prevents the activation from feeling like a disposable digital trick.

The intent: make the GTI feel alive online

The business intent is to translate the GTI’s performance DNA into a digital format. Speed, responsiveness, and thrill are not explained. They are simulated. The banner becomes a proxy for the car’s character.

At the same time, Volkswagen demonstrates that standard media formats can still surprise when they are treated as systems instead of slots.

How it was built behind the scenes

The making-of video shows how the different banner environments were aligned, timed, and stitched together to behave like a single runway across multiple sites.

What to steal from the GTI banner race

Rethink familiar formats. Banners can be environments, not just placements.
Design for motion. Movement creates attention where static assets fail.
Use a real reward. Tangible stakes raise commitment instantly.
Connect experiences. Linking multiple sites turns reach into narrative space.
Encode the product DNA. Let the interaction mirror what the product stands for.

A few fast answers before you act

What makes this GTI launch different from a normal banner campaign?

The banners are connected into a continuous race environment, turning advertising space into gameplay instead of static exposure.

Why use an online race to launch a car?

Because racing instantly communicates speed and performance, which are core to the GTI identity.

Does this work without the prize car?

The experience would still be novel, but the real-world reward dramatically increases urgency and participation.

What role do partner websites play?

They become part of the environment. Each site is a segment of the runway rather than just a host for an ad.

What is the main takeaway for digital launches?

When you turn media formats into systems with rules and progression, people stop skipping and start playing.

VW Polo Principle: Crowdsourced 3D Prints

Volkswagen last year launched “The Polo Principle” ad campaign to convey the message that high-end innovations were now available to Polo drivers.

Then, to democratize the innovation process, they allowed people to actually design their very own 3D Volkswagen mock ups. The top 40 designs were chosen by a panel of judges and then put on display in Copenhagen, with the entrants receiving their (mini) 3D printed Volkswagens in the mail.

From innovation message to innovation participation

The mechanism is a neat escalation. The campaign starts with a claim: premium innovation is no longer reserved for premium models. Then it turns that claim into an action: if innovation is being “democratised,” people should be able to shape it. A 3D design tool becomes the interface for participation.

Instead of asking audiences to agree with the brand message, Volkswagen invites them to contribute to it, visually and playfully.

In co-creation campaigns, participation becomes persuasion when people can make something that physically proves the brand promise.

Why it lands: ownership beats persuasion

This works because creating something triggers a different level of engagement than watching something. Designing a mock up requires time, intent, and taste. Once you invest that effort, you become emotionally tied to the campaign. And when your design is selected, the brand is no longer a distant manufacturer. It is a platform that amplified you.

The Copenhagen display adds a public payoff. It moves the work out of the browser and into a real space, which signals seriousness and status.

The intent: make “accessible innovation” feel real

The business intent is to attach innovation to the Polo brand without sounding like advertising. User-generated designs create social proof. The 3D printed mini cars make the campaign tangible. “Innovation is available to you” becomes “here is something you made, and here is a physical object that proves it.”

What to steal from this approach

Turn a message into a mechanism. If you claim democracy, build a democratic action people can take.
Reward with something physical. A mailed 3D print is a memorable artefact, not a forgettable badge.
Curate publicly. Exhibiting the top designs creates status and raises the perceived value of participation.
Use judges plus community. A panel can signal craft and quality, not just popularity.
Design for shareability. People naturally share what they created, especially when it looks good.

For more examples on brands using 3D printing click here.

A few fast answers before you act

What was the core idea behind the Polo Principle extension?

To move from talking about “innovation for everyone” to letting people participate by designing their own 3D Volkswagen mock ups.

Why add 3D printing to a campaign?

It creates a physical proof point. A printed mini model makes the experience feel real, personal, and worth keeping.

What role did the Copenhagen display play?

It gave public status to the best designs and signalled that the brand took the contributions seriously, beyond a digital stunt.

Is co-creation mainly an awareness play?

It can drive awareness, but its deeper value is emotional ownership. People remember what they helped create.

What is the main takeaway for brands claiming “democratisation”?

If you want the message to stick, build a mechanism that lets people experience the claim directly, and reward participation in a tangible way.

VW Street Quest: Street View Becomes a Chase

Since 1951, South Africans have loved Volkswagen. In fact, you will probably find one on every street, road, highway and byway in the country. So Volkswagen, along with Ogilvy Cape Town, created an advergame that not only celebrated the impact Volkswagen has had on South African streets, but also kickstarted Volkswagen South Africa’s Facebook Page.

“Volkswagen Street Quest” is a Facebook challenge to find as many Volkswagens as possible on South African streets using Google Street View, wrapped in a custom-designed gaming interface.

When the map becomes the game board

The mechanism is a clever remix of a familiar tool. Google Street View already invites exploration. Street Quest turns that exploration into a scavenger hunt with a score. Players “pin” Volkswagens they spot. The more pins you collect, the higher you climb.

It is not a passive brand experience. It is active search, pattern recognition, and a dopamine loop. Find. Pin. Move on. Find again.

In social activation design, the most durable engagement comes from a simple repeatable loop that turns a brand claim into something people can verify themselves.

Why it lands: pride, competition, and proof

This works because the premise is culturally believable. Volkswagen is positioned as a constant on South African streets. The game invites people to prove it to themselves, and to others, one find at a time. The campaign turns brand ubiquity into a participatory claim.

Competition does the rest. The campaign ran for over four weeks, and the players with the most pins each week qualified for a real-life Street Quest challenge. Digital play becomes a gateway to a physical reward, which raises commitment and keeps the hunt from burning out after day one.

The intent: build a Facebook audience without begging for likes

The business intent is straightforward. Volkswagen South Africa wanted to kickstart its Facebook Page. Street Quest is an acquisition mechanic disguised as entertainment. Instead of asking people to “join the community,” it gives them something to do that naturally keeps them connected to the page over time.

That matters because community building is not about a single click. It is about repeat behaviour. A four-week structure creates that repetition.

What to steal from Volkswagen Street Quest

Use an existing behaviour. People already explore maps and Street View. Turn that into a structured challenge.
Make the brand claim playable. If you say “we are everywhere,” give people a way to verify it themselves.
Stretch the campaign over time. Weekly qualification builds a habit loop and keeps energy up.
Bridge digital to physical. Real-world challenges add stakes and legitimacy.
Lead with fun, not with follow. Audience growth becomes a byproduct of participation.

A few fast answers before you act

What is Volkswagen Street Quest?

It is a Facebook advergame where players use Google Street View inside a custom interface to find and pin Volkswagens across South African streets.

Why use Google Street View for an advergame?

Because it provides an endless, realistic game environment that feels authentic, and it leverages a behaviour people already understand: exploring streets on a map.

How did the campaign sustain interest for four weeks?

By running weekly rounds where top performers qualified for a real-life Street Quest challenge, keeping competition and motivation high.

What was the main business goal behind the game?

To kickstart Volkswagen South Africa’s Facebook Page by attracting participation and repeat visits without relying on generic “like us” messaging.

What is the key takeaway for social activations?

Build a game loop that makes the brand premise tangible, then structure it over time so people return and bring others with them.