Advertiser> VW

Based: Wolfsburg, Germany

Agency: Global agency is Arnold Worldwide.

TV ad spend: US only: Approx. $330 million US of a total $600 million (2002).*

Brand personality: "Volkswagen drivers are defined not only by their love of driving, but their love of life."

Commercial forte: Quiet humor - ranges from clean-cut wordless images to irreverent humor about its own brand.

Awards: Include Silver Cannes Lion for "Bubble Boy", Bronze for "Squares".

What's next: Touareg SUV campaign, currently running. Prelaunch featured actual auditions with actors who had to pretend to drive using chairs and paper plates... gotta love it.

Boards rock-o-meter: 9/10 - Crisp editing, quirky but oddly calming scenarios, not to mention audacious use of ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" as "Bubble Boy" soundtrack.

*numbers from CMR

WEBFILES:
Volkswagen> http://www.vw.com