Recovering Golf's iconic nature, status and desirability, redefining the brand and taking advantage of its milestone 50th anniversary.

Between 1974 and 2024, fifty years passed. Five decades in which Golf has become a symbol of the spirit of youth. That sort of thing deserves a big celebration, and Volkswagen wanted to take advantage to redefine the Golf brand as a love brand. Although it is a car that has endured through generations, it celebrated its half-century anniversary just as preferences for utility vehicles were waning: the focus on functionalities and technology meant that competitors in the category had reached similar and predictable territory and creative solutions, leaving everything looking the same.

But they're not the only ones… In our world, what's new or the latest thing now rules. Today, nothing lasts. Everything is made to use and throw away, which is supposedly better, as things that are ephemeral let us adapt, change and keep up with the latest trends. However, there is a downside: we have become slaves to what is new and to hype.

Luckily, some people have started to open their eyes: what's new and ephemeral is not worth anything, because it never ends up meaning anything. That's why people are looking for what is really important in their experiences, those moments when you're young that mark you for ever, things they will remember for the rest of their lives. Golf had an opportunity there to break out of the uniform space it had fallen into. It could have a different, legitimate perspective that would connect with those looking for meaning in their lives. As a historical, iconic, reliable, quality car that has been accompanying young people for the last fifty years and wants to continue doing so, it could have been the brand that, in a world where the ephemeral rules, stood up for things that don't just last, but last forever. We summed all of that up in one phrase: ‘FOREVER SINCE 1974’. A statement that, far from just being a 50th anniversary claim, would become Golf's brand idea from now on.

To build the identity and tone of the campaign, we researched what they had in common with brands that connect and are culturally relevant, and we found that they use the language of fashion: an implicit perspective like the one we had defined, an identity based on cultural codes, and an activation based on surprise. The plan was simple: we would build the identity of this new era of Golf as if the car was a fashion brand.

We would do so under three pillars: what's eternal, nostalgia, and the car. The eternal as a territory, which has to transmit everything we do. Nostalgia as a visual code, expressed via everything analogue. The car as an icon of what endures in our lives, moving away from advertising it and taking it to the streets.

And so, the time came to spring into action. The campaign had multiple means of attracting the attention of users. We began by updating Golf’s channels with the new identity, followed by the launch of the main advert supported by a campaign of banners and DOOH across Barcelona and Madrid; finally, we took to the streets to showcase what Golf wanted to stand for, starting with a Wildposting campaign and later partnering with media outlets such as Código Nuevo and Los40.

With FOREVER SINCE 1974, Golf has taken the first step in returning to its rightful place. Taking advantage of a milestone like its 50th anniversary, it reclaims its iconic status and youthful spirit with a perspective that redefines its relevance today, while also looking to the future by drawing on its entire past.