USA Men’s National Soccer Team captain Christian Pulisic fronted an ‘Pressure Makes Diamonds’ campaign promoting VW‘s ID.4 as US production of the auto giant’s flagship electric vehicle starts.
The campaign promotes VW’s 2022 ESUV the ID.4 – Volkswagen Group’s most popular all-electric model – and it also leverages the German car company’s three-year official US Soccer partnership.
The roll out of the ‘Pressure Makes Diamonds’ campaign was timed to coincide with the kick-off of the 2022/23 Premier League season in England and thus leverages spiking interest around Pulisic who plays for London club Chelsea FC.
The 60-second spot, developed in harness with creative agency Johannes Leonardo, compares the pressure elite athletes are under to perform to the pressure VW is under to produce electric vehicles for the sake of the planet.
The film takes viewers on a journey through Pulisic’s mind as he prepares to take a penalty kick. The narrative arc sees the soccer star reminisce about where it all began and traveling through key moments from his career until arriving back in the game and to the present moment.
Other sports star and celebrity appearances include the USMNT legend and former Fulham FC player Clint Dempsey, actor and comedian Brett Goldstein from the soccer themed hit show Ted Lasso and the voice of English Football commentator Martin Tyler.
The spot asks: ‘What do Christian Pulisic and the VW ID.4 have in common? They were both created by a world of pressure.’
The ad debuted online on 4 August and on TV during the opening round of Premier League games on 6 August running across ESPN, Bleacher Report, Fox, NBC, CBS, Fubo TV, TBS, HBO Max, Hulu and Peacock. The commercial also aired during the 2022 Emmy Awards, The Tonight Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers and 20/20.
“Each effort points to the ways that VW drivers choose to live bigger lives—whether by choosing not to follow the herd, driving with others in mind, or sticking with something important no matter the pressure,” said Johannes Leonardo Creative Director Jonathan Santana. “Executionally, the ‘Diamonds’ film provides a more ambitious premise—a snapshot of Christian’s entire soccer career, sprinkled with some celebrity cameos, rather than zeroing in on one particular moment in the life of a VW driver as other recent work has done,” Santana said.
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In Terms of its US Soccer sponsorship, this spot follows in the footsteps of its July US Women’s National Team campaign with musician Fiona Kida.
This marketing burst is the latest extension of VW’s ongoing ‘Drive Bigger’ brand platform which has included previous summer spots such as ‘Those Guys’ and ‘Break Free’.
The campaign also debuted as VW starts production of the ID.4 at its Tennessee plant – making it the auto giant’s first EV to be assembled in the US. The company plans to ramp up ID.4 assembly in Chattanooga to 7,000 cars per month in the fourth quarter with the goal of further increasing output in 2023.
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