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So Cal Surfers and their Families are “Taking Charge” with Volkswagen and the All-Electric ID.4

Pro surfers Bruna Zaun and Pat Gudauskas star in Emergent Media’s original content series

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Emergent Media has partnered with Volkswagen on a new digital campaign which aligns with the ID.4’s driving statement, “Before it can change the world, it has to change yours.” Inspired and informed by the insight that range is the most important consideration for electric-car shoppers, Taking Charge: Powered by VW ID.4 follows eco-conscious pro surfers Bruna Zaun and Pat Gudauskas as they take their quintessential California lifestyles on the road to enjoy a little beach time, ride some waves, and run a few errands.

In the episode featuring Bruna Zaun, she drives from Hermosa Beach in the South Bay of Los Angeles to Encinitas, just outside San Diego. Pat Gudauskas and his family enjoy a run up Pacific Coast Highway from their home in Orange County’s San Clemente to Topanga Canyon. Along the way, the day-trip vignettes normalize the electric vehicle experience by demonstrating the ID.4’s impressive range and showcasing the car’s numerous features. The result is a campaign that promotes familiarity with the new ID.4 as an EV for the masses while serving as a prompt for California audiences to reconsider the VW brand.

“Emergent Media creates bespoke content that connects us with a community in a way that doesn’t feel forced,” says Kimberly Gardiner, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Volkswagen. “The work (they) are doing has always felt so well thought through, from the very beginning to the delivery, it has never been an ‘insert your brand here’ approach. They want to create content that is smart and uniquely special. They are content creators at their core who just want to hear about what they can do to help you achieve your goals.”

Taking Charge: Powered by VW ID.4 is composed of long-form hero videos and social cut-downs with distribution across Emergent’s key California Channels: California Love, Golden State, and Surfers. Additional distribution includes paid social targeting an eco-conscious and EV open consumer across Facebook and Instagram, with an emphasis on West coast markets. Furthermore, content will also be amplified across the talents’ own social channels. The campaign runs mid-September through October, 2021.

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