Doctor’s Notes
Volkswagen
Issue 8 | September 2008
Agency
Proximity London
Creative Team
Mark Dudley – Art Director;Chris May – Copywriter
Production Team
Graham James - Production Manager
Other Credits
James Hough – Account Manager
Date
March 2008
Background
The average commuting time in the UK is about an hour. For the average commuter, this is a time filled with tailbacks, road-works, traffic jams and the like. It’s an uncomfortable but necessary evil. The Passat Highline, on the other hand, is luxury on wheels. Proximity London’s objective was to position the car as the perfect remedy for the commute. The DM campaign was conceived to inform the target audience of the vehicle’s features and benefits, and to persuade them to take a test drive.
Idea
To demonstrate the relief the Passat Highline can give to the average commuter, the agency first needed to remind them of how their daily grind makes them feel. They created a set of highly personalised doctor’s notes, detailing all the symptoms of the commute – headaches, high blood pressure etc. Paper-clipped inside these notes was a personalised and close facsimile of an NHS prescription. This canny reply-device told the recipient of the best medicine – to take a test drive.
Target audience
Men aged 40 to 50; existing and lapsed Volkswagen customers, prospects and cold contacts.
Volume/size of campaign
70,000 packs
Our Thoughts
At Cannes, Dylan Taylor, a Direct Lions jury member, complained that craft skills were on the low side this year. This piece would please him, then, as the art direction is top drawer. The attention to detail is exceptional and I believe it led many recipients to think it really was a note from their doctor.