With the help of their advertising agency Red Urban, Volkswagen Canada has launched their latest campaign called “The Great Volkswagen Art Heist.” The new campaign was launched to help celebrate the launch of the turbocharged 2012 Jetta GLI. Beginning those month, pop-up “Performance Art” galleries began to appear in major cities across Canada. The outdoor exhibits feature limited edition, hand-numbered, framed long-exposure light painting photographs created by the 200-horsepower Jetta GLI. While the frames have been hung for all to admire, they haven’t been hung that securely, allowing more daring admirers to claim the artwork for themselves. Thieves are being asked to share their steals, and Volkswagen Canada’s Facebook page has already received numerous photos from fans decorating homes and offices with the eye-catching imagery.
A 30-second television commercial (see above) pairs together the high-speed maneuvering of the Jetta GLI with the long-exposure photographs of the resulting light trails, captured from the exact same angle, for a mesmerizing and authentic performance.
In the next few weeks, Volkswagen Canada ok roll out the next phase of the campaign, that will take the hunt online and into social media. They also made it clear that potential art thieves will have to act even faster this next time around.