Chatter and excitement over the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) may have been eliminated from our lips the same way the beloved team was shockingly eliminated from the FIFA World Cup competition last week, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t creativity still worth talking about. This includes a recent Volkswagen Atlas & Atlas Cross Sport campaign from Johannes Leonardo that aimed to build on the excitement and ambition of the popular women’s team.
“Our ambition with this campaign was to blend authenticity, genuine player interactions, a joyful spirit, and an unwavering passion for the game, resulting in a captivating celebration of the remarkable updates in both the team and our vehicles,” said Jeff Sayen, Director, Consumer Experiences & Partnerships at Volkswagen. “Through compelling storytelling and a distinctive approach, we invite viewers to immerse themselves in the authentic narratives of these exceptional athletes, shining a spotlight on their distinctive personalities. Much like the new Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport, they embody a spirit that is truly ‘Anything but Ordinary.'”
The new campaign includes two executions titled “The Juggle” and “Nailed It.” “The Juggle” follows Alyssa Thompson, the youngest USWNT player, as she leaves practice while continuously juggling the ball and engaging in post-practice interactions. Watch below:
“Nailed It” features Andi Sullivan and Ashley Hatch practicing what appears to be free-kick shots, but they are actually aiming behind the goal to get the ball into the new Volkswagen Atlas.
REELated:
“We set out to highlight the extraordinary talent of the US Women’s National Team and introduce the world to the unique and fun personalities of its new rising stars. This changing of the guard of one of the most historic teams in world sport also presented the perfect opportunity to launch the newly styled Volkswagen Atlas & Atlas Cross Sport. Capturing the parallel between these two entities both receiving a refreshing update, in a fun, witty and restrained way. A contrast to the big over the top commercials we’re accustomed to seeing,” noted Jonathan Santana, Executive Creative Director of Johannes Leonardo
The approach taken in this campaign stands out by focusing on presenting the players and the car in a unique and authentic way, rather than relying on standard sports ad tropes. The campaign includes video spots, paid social assets, digital banners, podcast integrations, and organic social content across Volkswagen’s channels.
CREDITS:
Client: Volkswagen Group of America, Herndon, VA, USA
- President and CEO: Pablo Di Si
- EVP, Sales & Marketing: Andrew Savvas
- SVP, Customer Experience & Marketing: Rachael Zaluzec
- Director, Consumer Experiences & Partnerships: Jeffrey Sayen
- Manager, Consumer Experiences & Partnerships: Jessica Wolf
- Senior Specialist, Consumer Experiences & Partnerships: Rese Chorpening
AGENCY: Johannes Leonardo, New York City, USA
- Co-Founder & Co-Creative Chairman: Jan Jacobs
- Co-Founder & Co-Creative Chairman: Leo Premutico
- Executive Creative Director: Jonathan Santana
- Creative Director: Jim Robbins
- Associate Creative Director: Julian Cohen
- Associate Creative Director: Mikayla Lapierre
- Art Director: Andreas Karlsson
- Copywriter: Noah Bramme
- Design Director: Charles Watlington
- Associate Design Director:Olga Vladova
- Designer: Manny Sodhi
- Head of Production: Tasha Cronin
- Group Executive Producer: Rebecca O’Neill
- Senior Producer: Jay Jenkins
- Director, Business Affairs: Alesa Blanchard-Nelson
- Sr Business Affairs Manager: Denise Klapp
- Sr Business Affairs Manager: Magdalena Wiater
- Broadcast Traffic Manager: Sherry DelGrosso
- Group Account Director: Sam McCallum
- Sr Account Director: Jackson Klein
- Account Supervisor: Emma Pinkus
- Chief Strategy Officer: Steve Zaroff
- Group Strategy Director: Mary Bakarich / Adam Van Dyke
- Communications Strategy Director: Cooper Lemon
- Senior Strategist: Carter Daly
- Product Information Specialist: Ryan Callahan
PRODUCTION COMPANY: SMUGGLER
- Director: Rubberband
- Managing Director & EP: Sue Yeon Ahn
- HOP: Alex Hughes
- Executive Producer: Jaclyn Larson
- Line Producer: Luigi Rossi
EDIT: CABIN NY
- Editor: Sam Ostrove / Talia Pasqua
- Assistant Editor: Alex Hughes
- Executive Producer: Hope DuHaime
- Senior Producer: Grace Hammerstein
VFX: THE MILL NY
- Executive Producer: Mandy Harris
- Producers: Hayley Savage
- Coordinator: Juli Wright
- CD: Matt Fuller
- 2D Lead: Vi Nguyen
- 2D Lead: Heather Keister
- 2D Lead: Rex Carter
- Senior Compositor: Chris Russo
- Senior Compositor: George Gijo Peter
COLOR: BLACKSMITH
- Colorist: Mikey Pehanich
- Color assist: Sam Howells
- Executive Producer: Adam Vevang
AUDIO: WAVE STUDIOS NY
- Audio Mixer: Aaron Reynolds
- Executive Producer: Vicky Ferraro
MUSIC: CONSORTIUM
- Composer: Seth Olinsky
- Producer: Maggie Flatley
- Music Editor: Justin Miller
Licensed Music
- Publisher: Reservoir Publishing
- Track: Cover of Little Bitty Pretty Ones
