When a motor brand sets out to increase test drives of a vehicle it is rare that they seek out roads less travelled, especially with the purpose of helping others in need. But that’s exactly what Volkswagen has done with the Amarok Social Test Drive. This campaign challenges South Africans to take the tough off-roader for a test drive and make a difference in the lives of people, animals or communities. It’s different, it’s clever and it tells true stories.
“The Social Test Drive gives everyone the opportunity to try out the Amarok and experience how capable and comfortable it is whilst also doing something really meaningful,” says Tarryn Knight, Marketing Communications Manager, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. “With this campaign anyone can put the Amarok through its paces, taking it to hard-to-reach and rural places, while delivering medication, educational items, clothing – anything that remote communities in South African need the most.”
Capitalising on the tag line that reads ‘Not just tough, smart’, the campaign was devised by Volkswagen’s long-standing agency – Ogilvy Cape Town – and will run for a number of months, well into 2016. It transforms traditional advertising and ordinary “test drives around the block” into something more than a little special.
“We wanted people to experience the Amarok’s impressive load capacity and tough yet smart off-road credentials,” says Knight. “What better way than to create a world-first campaign and simultaneously make a positive difference to benefit others?”
What makes this campaign even more powerful is that originally Ogilvy’s concept of using the Amarok to deliver books to a community was simply part of an advertising campaign. Then something special and unexpected happened…
“When we decided on the Social Test Drive campaign idea, we had no idea that there was a real story waiting to be told. After the initial decision, the agency came back to me saying that they had found a gentleman, an ex-teacher, who actually does deliver textbooks to schools in the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal. They then announced that he also happens to be an Amarok owner,” recounts Knight. “It was that moment when I knew we had to make Amarok Social Test Drive happen. It became about making a difference and not just selling a vehicle. This is exactly the brand identity and ethos of Amarok: the desire to make a difference.”
The first Amarok Social Test Drive took place in August, featuring Mr Dlamini of KwaZulu-Natal himself. A tonne, an actual tonne, of educational material was loaded up onto the back of an Amarok and driven out to a remote school in a rural village, Zwanani Primary School. The round trip took four hours and 23 minutes and gave Dlamini far more than he bargained for when it came to trying out the capabilities of the Amarok.
“The test drive ran across 307km of varied terrain with some sections as good as a road can be, and others little more than a dirt track,” says Knight. “The Amarok proved its toughness, ability and strength easily, and our first test driver was delighted to deliver the 6000 textbooks to the very excited learners.”
The second test drive was launched in October, this time in the Eastern Cape. Sewing machines, overlockers and 423 metres of fabric were delivered to the Maqashu Community in Lady Frere, near Bengu, so that the community could begin their sewing project to generate income and boost skills development.
“Siyabonga Joko was selected from several entries to make this delivery,” says Knight. Joko describes it as an ‘unforgettable experience’, like ‘riding on a cloud’, with the end result of feeling deeply fulfilled by what he had achieved while test driving his dream car.
Videos of Dlamini and Joko are available on the microsite socialtestdrive.co.za, where other would-be Amarok owners can apply for a test drive experience. Entries for the fourth Amarok Social Test Drive are open until 8 December. The hashtag #AmarokTestDrive has been used to aggregate all social content so keep a look out for it over the coming months as more from the next two test drives are shared.
Volkswagen is also challenging others to take their own Amarok Social Test Drive. If you have a worthy cause in your area and the items to be delivered from donors or your own resources, Volkswagen and their dealer network will provide the Amaroks and all the things you’ll need to host and share your very own Social Test Drive.
In a twist of genius, the idea of challenging the Amarok to help benefit others is a clever one and will hopefully inspire South Africans to do more with their 4×4 test drive by making a difference in their communities.
“The Amarok Social Test Drive has tapped into the humanity of the Volkswagen brand and big brother character of the Amarok,” says Knight. “We are very much a South African brand so these moments of magic go beyond advertising straight to the heart of being a citizen of our country. It’s amazing how the campaign has touched and inspired people. Particularly at this festive and giving time of the year, we’d love to help more people deliver their gifts and donations to their destinations, wherever those may be.”
Visit socialtestdrive.co.za right now to see how you can participate, especially if you have a delivery waiting to benefit others that would fit in the class-leading, sizeable load bay of the Volkswagen Amarok.