The joy of Volkswagen life
Once, owning a car was essential; now it's seen as a hassle compared to other forms of transport. For a brand like Volkswagen, that’s a problem. For over 80 years, it was all about the pleasure of owning a car, but now millennial consumers are turning away from traditional dealerships and opting for urban, app-based transport solutions. It was time to rethink the car dealership, find new ideas for new customers and put the excitement and pride back into owning a car.
Human stories beat technical specifications. With this insight, we explored ways to remind customers of the joy of car ownership. At Birmingham’s Bullring Centre, we brought to life a new vision for car dealerships, with an engaging, inviting space for customers to connect driving with passions like outdoor pursuits, extreme fitness and travel. Once a customer had reconnected with car ownership, we made the purchase process super-simple – from an initial enquiry to walking away with a new or pre-owned Volkswagen.
The everyday benefits of owning a Volkswagen are showcased through editorial content on large magazine lightboxes.
Customers are invited to explore the Volkswagen brand and models through a digital wall that mixes objects, film and animation. Arranged on shelves, these objects trigger stories that play out on the wall and encourage interaction with the brand in a playful way.
Customers are put into the driving seat with in-store display models. They can also take a car for a spin from the test drive pod in the Bullring car park.
Customers can digitally configure their own car on iPads around a central table while non-commissioned product experts offer side-by-side consultations to help complete their purchase. The result is a simple car-buying process shifting away from the stereotypical car dealership.
“ The store allows us to try new ways of bringing our cutting edge products and technologies to the public in their usual retail environment. It is all about presenting our cars and services to the public in a place that is really convenient for them.” Alison Jones
Director of Passenger Cars, Volkswagen UK