Volkswagen Breaks Free From the Herd in Latest Spot From JL

You’re taking a drive in the country when some random sheep hops into your Volkswagen Tiguan. Now you’ve got a cute new pet, though you might need to wash that upholstery.

Johannes Leonardo and director Bryce Dallas Howard spin such a yarn in “Break Free,” a spot launching on TV next week as part of VW’s lifestyle-focused “Drive Bigger” campaign:

There’s just something about that woolly face hanging out the window like Fido that lifts our hearts!

“We loved the idea of a non-conformist sheep as a character,” JL group creative director Jonathan Santana tells Muse. “She became the metaphor to the independent spirit that VW drivers exhibit.”

Director Howard (Ron’s daughter) grew up with a pet sheep, so “we knew Bryce would be able to tap into the psyche of our fluffy little friend and depict her in a way that would feel charming and wonderful,” says Santana. “We had three sheep performing the role of our hero, each a star performer, delivering like pros. Rarely were we redoing takes because of the sheep, but rather because the humans weren’t hitting their marks. Whoever said animals were difficult to work with clearly has never worked with sheep before!”

Music frequently plays a key role in VW’s best spots, with classic selections of yore ranging from fringe-folkster Nick Drake to über-legend David Bowie. In similar fashion, a rousing, country-tinged take on “Make Your Own Kind of Music” propels “Break Free.” A 1969 hit for Mama Cass Elliot, the song harkens back to VW’s hippie-era heyday.

A terrific tune also benefits a second spot, “Those Guys,” created by JL with director Bjorn Ruhmann. Here, Doris Day’s sunny rendition of “It’s a Lovely Day Today” provides an ironic counterpoint as a phone-obsessed dude (Jonathan Kite from 2 Broke Girls) struts obliviously around town:

Frankly, the guy deserves to get creamed by that VW Atlas. Alas, we’re not making the ads, so the vehicle’s advanced safety features save the day when he obliviously saunters in front of the SUV. That’s probably more on brand, anyway.

Santana views “Those Guys” as a reintroduction of a “classic Volkswagen tone,” delivering a strong product message with humorous flair and a dash of irreverence. “Creating an ad with an anti-hero could seem like the wrong way to go,” he says. “But comedic tension was needed to talk about the Atlas, a car built to look out for everyone’s safety, even those outside of it. So naturally, showing a narcissistically guy happily going about his day without a care for anyone else seemed perfectly apt.”

VW rode high last year as U.S. sales spiked, though its fortunes have taken a sharp turn of late, mainly owing to supply-chain issues dogging the entire automotive industry. Moving forward, Santana believes “Drive Bigger” will spark momentum by aligning VW’s message with aspects of the human condition.

“We’re demonstrating how our cars enable them to live with more purpose and enjoyment,” he says. “We’ll be able to create big purposeful work that takes on societal issues and continue to build the brand’s perception as a leader in the EV space, demonstrating how that positively impacts the future of our world.”

CREDITS

—BREAK FREE

CLIENT: Volkswagen Group of America, Herndon, VA, USA
President and CEO: Scott Keogh
EVP, Sales & Marketing: Andrew Savvas
SVP, Marketing: Kimberley Gardiner
Director, Brand and Retail Content: Jennifer Clayton
Manager, Advertising: Megan Gross
Senior Specialist, Brand Advertising: Alyssa Young
Specialist, Brand Advertising: David Sperin

AGENCY: Johannes Leonardo, New York City, USA
Co-Founder & Creative Chairman: Jan Jacobs
Co-Founder & Creative Chairman: Leo Premutico
Chief Creative Officer: Julia Neumann
Group Creative Director: Jonathan Santana
Sr Copywriter: Lukas Pearson
Sr Art Director: Jennifer Yi
Design Director: Charles Watlington
Head of Production: Maria Perez
Group Executive Producer: Rebecca O’Neill
Executive Producer: Dave Evans
Director, Business Affairs: Alesa Blanchard-Nelson
Sr Business Affairs Manager: Denise Klapp
Broadcast Traffic Manager: Sargia Green
Managing Director: Emily Wilcox
Group Account Director: Sam McCallum
Account Director: Jackson Klein
Account Supervisor: Alexa Iliou
Account Supervisor: Andressa Paccini
Product Specialist: Ryan Callahan
Chief Strategy Officer: Steve Zaroff
Group Strategy Director: Mary Bakarich
Strategy Director: Kat Logan
Communications Strategy Director: 
Senior Strategist: Jake Ullman
Product Information Specialist: 

FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY: Prettybird
Director: Bryce Dallas Howard
Vice President/EP: Suzanne Hargrove
Head of Production: Rika Osenberg
Producer: Dennis Beier

EDITORIAL: Work Editorial
Founder/Editor: Neil Smith
Managing Director: Erica Thompson
Executive Producer: Alejandra Alarcon
Head of Production: Christopher Delarenal
Assistant Editor: Joseph Tuzzolino

FINISH / VFX / COLOR GRADE: The Mill
Executive Producer: Matthew Loranger
Senior Executive Producer | US Color: Meghan Lang Bice
Producer: Chanelle Larios
Sr Lead Compositor/VFX Supervisor: Siro Valente

AUDIO POST: Heard City
Managing Partner: Gloria Pitagorsky
Executive Producer: Sasha Awn
Executive Producer: Jackie James
Senior Producer: Liana Rosenberg
Producer: Nick Duvarney
Senior Mixer/Sound Designer: Evan Mangiamele
Sound Designer/Mixer/Engineer: T. Terressa Tate

MUSIC HOUSE: Soundtree
Founder / Composer: Peter Raeburn
Managing Director / Music Supervisor: Jay James
Head of Music / Composer: Luis Almau
Composer / Music Producer: Luke Fabia
Senior Producer: Neil Athale

MUSIC PUBLISHING: 
Composition: Make Your Own Kind of Music
Publisher: Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc.
Songwriters: Mann/Weil

—THOSE GUYS

CLIENT: Volkswagen Group of America, Herndon, VA, USA
President and CEO: Scott Keogh
EVP, Sales & Marketing: Andrew Savvas
SVP, Marketing: Kimberley Gardiner
Director, Content, Retail: Jennifer Clayton
Manager, Retail: Megan Gross
Senior Specialist, Retail: Alyssa Young
Specialist, Retail: David Sperin
Safety Engineer: Myles Wilson

AGENCY: Johannes Leonardo, New York City, USA
Co-Founder & Creative Chairman: Jan Jacobs
Co-Founder & Creative Chairman: Leo Premutico
Chief Creative Officer: Julia Neumann
Group Creative Director: Jonathan Santana
Sr Copywriter: Julian Cohen
Sr Art Director: Mikayla Lapierre
Design Director: Charles Watlington
Head of Production: Maria Perez
Group Executive Producer: Rebecca O’Neill
Senior Producer: Kelly Treadway
Director, Business Affairs: Alesa Blanchard-Nelson
Sr Business Affairs Manager: Denise Klapp
Broadcast Traffic Manager: Sargia Green
Managing Director: Emily Wilcox
Group Account Director: Sam McCallum
Account Director: Jackson Klein
Account Supervisor: Alexa Iliou
Account Supervisor: Andressa Paccini
Product Specialist: Ryan Callahan
Chief Strategy Officer: Steve Zaroff
Group Strategy Director: Mary Bakarich
Strategy Director: Kat Logan
Communications Strategy Director: 
Senior Strategist: Jake Ullman

FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY: Smuggler
Director: Bjorn Ruhmann
Co-Founder: Patrick Milling-Smith
Co-Founder: Brian Carmody
Managing Director US: Sue Yeon Ahn
Chief Operating Officer: Andrew Colon
Head of Production: Alex Hughes
Producer: Alexandra Lisee

EDITORIAL: Gattie & Lopez
Founder / Editor: Chuck Willis
Founder / MD: Sue Willis
Producer: Anna Peitti

FINISH/ VFX/ COLOR GRADE: The Mill
Colorist: Mark Gethin
VFX Lead: Kieran Hanrahan
Creative Director: Jimmy Bullard
Sr Executive Producer: Clairellen Wallen
Sr Producer: Ed Rilli
Producer: Ramya Shankar
Producer: Jessica Amburgey

AUDIO FINISHING: Sonic Union
Audio Mixer / Founder: Steve Rosen
Audio Mixer: Rob DiFondi
Audio Mixer: Kelly Oostman
MD/Studio Manager: Justine Cortale

LICENSED MUSIC: Premier Music Group 
Partner / EVP: Aaron Mercer
Music Supervisor: Ian Herbert