In 1984, Volkswagen introduced its iconic Santana sedan to China. Now, almost 30 years later, it has sold over four million units, becoming one of the best-selling cars in the country’s history. To celebrate and publicize the launch of the second-generation Santana model, Pico and Shanghai Volkswagen decided to take the new car for a test drive. A lengthy one: all the way from Germany to China ¬– covering almost 20,000 km!
Under the slogan ‘The Power of Truth’, the 45-day transcontinental trip involving a fleet of the new Santanas was at once an extended media tour, a World Premiere and a China launch event.
To maximize the gains from this tour, the teams needed to show off the new Santana’s superior technology, excellent design and its many safety features to audiences across Europe and Asia. This involved a careful balance of product positioning, cultural understanding and quick thinking.
Shanghai Volkswagen put Pico TBA in the driver’s seat for much of the mission, tasking us with the ‘scientific’ responsibilities of route planning, logistics of the car movements and execution planning; as well as the ‘artistic’ tasks of participant management, thematic concept integration and crafting a 360-degree media strategy for the 45-day trip.
The result showed the world the new Santana’s outstanding performance and reliability in a variety of environments and road conditions, impressing the public and making a splash with numerous media organizations on its amazing journey across two continents.
