22/12/2024
๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐๐: ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฉ๐ผ๐น๐ธ๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ช๐ฅ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ
When Volkswagen Motorsport returned to the World Rally Championship in 2013, they did more than just vie for trophies. With a stroke of daring, they launched a campaign that transcended typical rallying fandom, capturing a vast audience well beyond the bobble hats. Known as RALLY THE WORLD, their digital tour de force demonstrated that the excitement of rallying can indeed become a global conversation starterโprovided one tells the right story.
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ป๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ
Rallying has always been a scrappy contender in the motorsport universe. Enthusiasts relish the raw, unpredictable nature of rallies, yet the sport lingered in the shadows of giants like Formula 1 and NASCAR. Determined to change the narrative, Volkswagen Motorsport entered the fray with a clear ambition: they were not merely showcasing their Polo WRC, they were also reigniting the worldโs passion for rallying.
Together with German digital and marketing agencies, Aperto and Plantage Berlin, Volkswagen created a digital-first project that combined breathtaking driving sequences with humour and a touch of spectacle. The premise was straightforward but formidable: bring rallyingโs exhilaration to social media feeds and screens everywhere, showing off not just the cars, but an entire rallying ethos.
๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ
Underpinning the campaign was the cleverly succinct slogan, โDo It for the Drive.โ By 2015, this motto was front and centre, championing the simplicity and thrill of rallying across platforms from Facebook to YouTube. The objective? Short, snappy videos that highlighted the challenges, quirks, and infectious excitement that make WRC such a spectacle.
This approach didnโt cater solely to those who can identify the difference between a power stage and a tyre strategy. Instead, the videos appealed to anyone with even a passing admiration for spirited driving, turning rally fans into loyal followersโand curious newcomers into avid onlookers.
๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐
One of the campaignโs defining strengths lay in its willingness to blend motorsport drama with a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek flair. For instance, a piece filmed in Sweden featured Volkswagenโs crew struggling with an infamous flat-pack furniture manual, echoing the frustration and hilarity of an everyday DIY nightmare. It was both entertaining and subtly promotionalโa reminder that these experts in precision engineering could share a laugh, too.
Similar playful moments abounded in Rally Italy, where the hot, dusty roads were reimagined in a clip of the Polo WRC outrunning its own dust trail. Even the drivers themselves were sometimes the butt of the joke. In one particularly memorable skit, Jari-Matti Latvala was shown crossing the Atlantic in a shipping container, growing a mighty beard in the processโperfectly capturing the sportโs sense of adventure (and occasional absurdity).
๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐
Part of Volkswagenโs success rested on integrating the audience into rallyingโs dramatic twists and turns. Filming on-location, often with little more than a smartphone, gave fans a sense of immediacyโof being right there when the mud and gravel kicked up. But the producers went a step further by seamlessly pairing reality with nostalgic references. At Rally Finland, for example, a fanโs old Nokia phone game of Snake morphed into an 8-bit Polo WRC, only for the real car to roar past at precisely the right moment, bridging the digital and physical worlds in a single playful shot.
This commitment to real-time engagement was more than a gimmick. By making fans feel like insidersโvia sketches, community challenges, or glimpses behind the scenesโRALLY THE WORLD built a tight-knit, ever-growing community invested in every round of the WRC season.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐๐น๐ฎ
Over its lifetime, RALLY THE WORLD smashed its own ambitious targets. Rally devotees loved it, but so did countless people who had never given the sport a second glance. The figures speak for themselves: 365 million page impressions, 60 million video views, and nearly half of those coming organically. Even more impressive, fan interaction tripled during the 2015 season.
Volkswagen Motorsportโs triumph was not limited to securing multiple championship titles; they also changed how motorsport was marketed and perceived. By harnessing digital platforms, leaning into light-hearted storytelling, and amplifying rallyโs inherent excitement, RALLY THE WORLD boldly widened the sportโs appeal.
Thanks to this strategy, WRC was no longer niche. It burst again onto the main stage thanks to an inspired combination of sly wit, genuine passion, and shrewd digital savvy. As an example of how to re-energise a less mainstream sportโand possibly an entire industryโthereโs no question that RALLY THE WORLD set a new high-water mark in motorsportโs digital renaissance.
๐ท Image by Volkswagen RALLYTHEWORLD
