Volkswagen: Where’s Sportwagon?

Volkswagen approached us with a tough brief: introduce the new Golf Sportwagon into a crowded and highly competitive compact-vehicle segment—one where wagons were often overshadowed by the mass appeal of SUVs. The challenge was twofold: overcome the cultural bias that viewed wagons as practical but uninspiring, and persuade current and lapsed Volkswagen owners—as well as competitor wagon, compact, and SUV drivers—to reconsider a body style that hadn’t been appreciated in years. To move people meaningfully along the purchase path, we needed to reframe what a wagon could be and build an experience that demonstrated that the Sportwagon delivered not just utility, but true performance and adventure.

Our insight uncovered an overlooked truth: wagon drivers aren’t compromise buyers—they’re explorers who value capability and driving performance in equal measure. This understanding inspired “Where’s Sportwagon,” a cross-country, mobile-first scavenger hunt built around discovery. We created a fully gamified, mobile-optimized microsite where users unlocked new regions weekly, uncovering vehicle features through interactive challenges that showcased real ties to performance and utility. Supported by targeted email, social amplification, digital media, and live activations, the campaign transformed a traditional vehicle launch into an immersive journey—ultimately guiding users from an online adventure to an in-person test drive.