MUMBAI: German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen is showing how print can used effectively as the main advertising platform as an India entry strategy and then subsequently for pushing products in a highly competitive but growing marketplace.

Volkswagen launched its campaign for the Polo and Vento with an innovation in today’s edition of The Times of India, The Hindustan Times and The Hindu. The creative force behind the innovation is Omnicom’s DDB Mudra.

As part of the innovation a light-sensitive chip attached to the paper began to vibrate as readers opened the newspaper. This was the car manufacturer’s way of communicating to readers the shiver of excitement they’ll experience when they see the exciting new features in the Polo and Vento.

Two pages of the four page jacket were devoted to bringing alive the many innovations and unique processes that go into making each and every Volkswagen. The fourth page of the jacket also communicated the great value that the Polo and Vento offer.

Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Group Sales India head of marketing and pr Lutz Kothesaid, “Like our carlines, innovation has always been the core of our communication. Through this innovation we have not only communicated the unique processes that go into making a Volkswagen but also the new features added to Polo and Vento. I am confident that like our other campaigns, this initiative will excite our customers to walk into our showrooms for a test drive.”

DDB Mudra Group Mumbai president Rajiv Sabnis said, “Volkswagen operates its business globally on three fundamental value pillars- Innovative, Responsible and Valuable. The "shivering" newspaper idea and the content in the four page pull-out advertisement demonstrates all three value pillars of Volkswagen- it is led by the innovative idea of a shivering newspaper, supported by the responsibility with which Volkswagen manufactures their cars and the value that the Vento and Polo offer with their exciting new features. Volkswagen and DDB Mudra have raised the bar again in creating innovative communication and demonstrated social creativity that is getting talked about on social networks.”

DDB Mudra senior vice president Anurag Tandon said, “When you walk inside a Volkswagen plant, every step you take makes you want to share with the world, the story about the passion, the rigour, the attention to detail and the sheer superiority that goes inside every Volkswagen. Our idea stems from a deep understanding of what makes a Volkswagen, a Volkswagen and strategically it comes from a belief that we need to influence a fundamental shift in the car buying behavior of the Indians”

DDB Mudra executive creative director Louella Rebello said, “The vibrating newspaper besides conveying the excitement of the Polo and Vento, highlights how Volkswagen cars are fundamentally superior. As Indians, we like to tick the boxes on peripherals while buying a car. What we are saying is sure, tick boxes. But tick the right ones. Make sure the fundamentals are rock solid first.”

Volkswagen currently offers the Jetta, Passat, New Beetle, the SUV Touareg, the Phaeton, the Polo and the Vento.

Volkswagen has in the past carried out a nationwide roadblock on The Times of India, with its 'roadblock' along with its Volkswagen Polo 'Hole-in-the-paper' campaign.

As part of the campaign, for the first time ever, a newspaper was blocked on a nationwide scale by a single advertiser across 16 editions. A total of 6.86 million readers were introduced to Volkswagen which resulted in Volkswagen becoming the No.1 searched term on Google India soon after the roadblock.

To launch its premium hatchback, Polo, Volkswagen had cut-outs in the shape of the car at the top of every page of The Times of India and a distinct feature of the car was detailed on each page.

Last year, the German automobile manufacturer had taken the aid of the talking newspapers to reach out to its potential buyers in an attempt to introduce its premium entry level sedan Vento in India.

For the ‘talking newspaper’ campaign, Volkswagen partnered with the TOI and The Hindu for a nationwide communication strategy wherein whenever the reader opens the newspaper, a voice speaks to him about the car manufacturer's latest variant in India. A light-sensitive chip is attached to the page announcing the arrival of a perfectly engineered car by Volkswagen.

The Polo is a the Volkswagen offering in the hatchback segment and competes with Ford Figo, Maruti Suzuki Swift, Nissan Micra and Honda Brio while Vento’s main competition comes from Ford Fiesta, Skoda Rapid, Hyundai Verna and Toyota Etios.

Polo is priced between Rs 400,000 to 450, 000 and Vento costs between Rs 850, 000 to Rs one million.