Volkswagen SA ‘VW, You & Me’

Created to celebrate Volkswagen’s 75-year history in South Africa, the film revisits the spirit of the iconic 1988 campaign through the people who continue to shape the brand today.

Rather than casting actors, the director built the film around Volkswagen employees and their families. People with genuine connections to the brand became the emotional centre of the film, bringing a truthfulness that couldn’t be manufactured.

With over 1,500 employees brought together to form the iconic Volkswagen logo, the challenge was balancing scale with humanity. While the large-format imagery provides the film’s visual impact, the direction continually returns to individual moments, a glance, a smile, a shared sense of pride, ensuring the spectacle never overshadows the people at its heart.

Rather than relying on scripted performances, the director focused on creating an environment where authentic interactions could unfold naturally. This approach gives the film a sense of intimacy and honesty, allowing emotion to emerge through observation rather than instruction.

The result is a piece that feels both epic and personal: a celebration of Volkswagen’s history told through the people who have built it, lived it and continue to carry it forward.

Brand/Client: VW
Head of Marketing: Bridget Harpur
Brand Manager: Sindiswa Ndeva
Brand Consultant: Thato Lekgetha
Marketing Brand Trainee: Thabiso Ngcobo

Agency: Ogilvy SA
Creative Partner: Alex Goldberg
Art Director: Lauren Gericke
Copywriter: Gemma Strohbach
Managing Partner: Julian Hendrickse
Group Accounts Director: Mandisa Looana
Accounts Director: Katlego Malaka
Head of Integrated Productionr: Cathy Day

Film Production & Crew
Production Company: Giant Films
Director: Karien Cherry
Executive Producer: Emma Lundy, Cindy Gabriel
Producer: Liz Dahl
Line Producer: Amina Thornton
Production Manager: Thandi Steenkamp
Casting Director: Amin Grey

DOP: Polly Morgan
B-Cam Operator: Robo Wilson
Focus Puller: Sarel Eloff
B-Cam Focus Puller: Akihiro Tanaka
1st AD: Andrew Faber
Key Grip: Itumeleng Mdodana
Gaffer: Tobie Smuts
Wardrobe: Nadia Omar
Art Director: Laura McGregor
Editor: Xander Vander
Online: Charmaine Greyling
Grade: Nic Apostoli

Music: Audio Militia
Final Mix: (Not an IDIDTHAT member)

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