This paper describes a social phenomenon. How one idea created an indelible story, delivering an infectious creative, with enduring charm: The Force.

The Volkswagen Passat is a popular midsize sedan around the world. But not in the U.S., considered undersized and overpriced, it never posing a threat to established leaders Camry and Accord. But to meet aggressive new sales goals, Passat must become a high-volume player. Re-engineered to enter the American Mainstream, the challenge was to launch the new Passat in September 2011, right when Toyota was launching its new Camry.A “two-hit” strategy was developed: A pre-launch event with a single spot early in the year at the Super Bowl, the year's most anticipated sports and advertising showdown in America's popular culture; and then re-hit before the September launch, to prime the pump and maximize awareness. The spot would be supported by a clever follow-up online video campaign, and public relations to engage mainstream and social media.

To create a superstar TV spot, Volkswagen tapped into Star Wars™. The spot tells the story of a young Darth Vader-in-training, disappointed by his inability to muster “the Force” as he practices around his home. With a little help from Dad, and the Passat, the Force, much to his surprise, is indeed with him.

The Force’s warmth and charm made it the stand out spot at the Super Bowl, outperforming its primary objectives of building awareness and viral engagement. Results were unprecedented: •The Force outshone its peers at Super Bowl, and was voted the No.1 ad on acclaimed online sites;•It became a viral phenomenon with 50m YouTube views, becoming the most viewed video ad globally in 2011, and the most shared branded video of all time with 4.7m social media shares. The secondary objective, supporting launch sales, was surpassed with 20,902 units sold, +116% over last year vs. a 10% increase in US auto sales. This realized VW incremental revenue of over $213m with The Force only having to account for just 4% of the sales uplift, in order to cover campaign costs. The Force clearly demonstrates that investment in a powerful creative idea can earn a return many times over.And although we started out intending to drive viral engagement and sell cars, we ended up doing something unexpected: building awareness of pediatric medical needs due to our Mini Darth Vader, Max.