Volkswagen Feeling Carefree Commercial | VW USA
What would you do if you didn’t have to worry about maintenance on your car? You might just feel like jumping into the classic 80s video “Take on Me,” if you were the main character in our new Volkswagen spot.
“Feeling Carefree” celebrates Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance, which offers no-charge scheduled maintenance on VW cars for the first two years or 24,000 miles. Because of the program, all the protagonist in our ad has to think about is driving the car he loves—and possibly dancing with a woman wearing 80s clothes.
The spot is a combination of stills, animated sequences and live action, just like the original A-Ha video, which broke new ground when it launched in 1985, winning six MTV Video Music Awards.
The spot was created using the same rotoscoping method as the original video—they filmed the actors and the cars and then animated the results. This made for a different kind of shoot. Because we didn't have to worry about lighting and sound, we could simply shoot until we got the right angles.
The track is the original music from A-Ha. The ad was intended to pay homage to “Take on Me,” but isn't meant as a sequel or recreation; for example, the characters aren't intended to be the "Take on Me" actors.
“Feeling Carefree” was directed by David Shane, who did our recent “Johnny Conquest spots” and notable work such as Bud Light's “Swear Jar.”
Credits:
Creative Advertising Agency: Deutsch LA
Executive Creative Director: Michael Kadin
Group Creative Director: Matt Ian
Creative Director: Mark Peters
Associate Creative Director: Ryan Scott
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Director of Content Production: Victoria Guenier
Executive Integrated Producer: Jim Haight
Production Company: O Positive
Director: David Shane
Executive Producer: Marc Grill
Line Producer: Ken Licata
Editorial Company: Union Editorial
Editor: Jim Haygood
Assistant Editor: Dylan Firshein
Executive Producer: Michael Raimondi
Producer: Joe Ross
Post Facility: Company 3
Colorist: Beau Leon
Animation/Visual Effects Company: Passion Pictures
Head of Production: Anna Lord
Executive Producer: Alex Webster
Producer: Matt Saxton
Director: John Roberston
Music/Composer: “Take On Me” Performed by a-ha
Audio Post: Lime
Assistant: Matt Miller
Producer: Jessica Locke