Das Chair is a campaign made to offer customers an experience unlike anything they’d experienced before. The chair engaged people on retail level, through test-driving events in dealerships. And for those who couldn’t make it physically, as an immersive online deep dive into the product itself, as well as the process of making it.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Norway is a brand that sells vans to professionals.

In 2022, Volkswagen was waiting on the arrival of the new, all-electric ID. Buzz Cargo. The vehicle had already been advertised for well over a year, but with pandemic and war delaying production, the lack of substantial news regarding delivery and pre-orders was putting the brand at risk of taking a hit. In particular in regards to leading the way in technology and innovation in the commercial vehicle market, as competitors had been quicker with proper EV’s for commercial use.

We were tasked with creating a brand campaign that would strengthen Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle’s position in Norway.

Specifically, the goals were to increase the perception of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles as an innovative car brand as well as create and maintain interest in the next generation of electric commercial vehicles.

Having a VW as a workplace comes with a lot of benefits: A comfortable seat, brand new entertainment system, safety and assistant technology, and perhaps most important of all; you get to drive all day. To highlight these things, we decided to move them all into a work environment that is the complete opposite: The office.

And so, Das Chair was born. An office chair designed to 1) recreate the feeling of working in a Volkswagen for those not lucky enough to drive one for work, and 2) poke fun at office workers, a group of people the average carpenter, plumber or handyman would never switch places with.

The chair was a vehicle, literal and metaphorical, that let us talk about all the benefits of driving a Volkswagen, and engage our audience in a way a regular car commercial never could.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles had been Norway’s most sold brand for commercial vehicles for 17 years, but now they needed a reminder of why the brand’s payoff «Norway’s most popular workplace on four wheels» had resonated with them for years.

As a brand making cars for hard working men and women, we set out to make a campaign that not only talked about the benefits of driving a Volkswagen for work, but also about the joy of having a job that lets you have a car as a workplace in itself.

It was crucial to the idea that people would be able to test it, so it had to be a real, physical build with actual capabilities. It was designed to resemble an actual Volkswagen, had a top speed of 20 km/h, was equipped with sensors, rear view camera, entertainment system and much more.

We then launched it like it was any other new vehicle: A 360 campaign that sold the chair as the perfect option for people who don’t drive a Volkswagen for work.

At Volkswagen.no, people took deep dives into the chair’s design and capabilities at a product site, that constantly reminded viewers that you’d be even better off driving an actual VW for work.

The most immersive experience of the campaign took place at test-driving events throughout Norway, as the chair toured the country, attracting people to Volkswagen dealerships to check it out.

The chair reached over 400 million people worldwide, but more importantly, it rejuvenated the belief in the brand on several key parameters, as well as a significant increase in engagement both online and offline.

340,5% increase in website traffic

21% more cars sold compared to the same period in 2021

«Volkswagen Office Chair» was a more popular search term than any commercial vehicle in Norway

Perception of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles as the leading brand for development of commercial vehicles increased from 39% to 53%

Perception of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles as a brand with innovative and smart solutions increased from 33% to 55%

Perception of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles as a brand with good safety- and driver assistance systems increased from 35% to 55%

Perception of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles as a brand with high standard for driving comfort and driving capabilities increased from 51% to 69%