Volkswagen is hyping the debut of its newest electric vehicle by recalling the classic gas-powered car it is based on, the 1960s-era VW Microbus, beloved by hippies everywhere.
The new all-electric van, called the ID Buzz, will be unveiled at an event today in Huntington Beach, California, that VW will also livestream on its homepage. The vehicle, already on sale in Europe, is expected to be available in the U.S. in 2024 and is part of VW’s massive investment in EVs.
As part of the U.S. reveal, the automaker and lead U.S. agency Johannes Leonardo today began an outdoor campaign that plays off the two-tone paint design of the old Microbus. The brand began teasing it last month with out-of-home ads simply featuring two colors—but no car. Now the ID Buzz is being added, along with copy such as “back with a smile” and “two colors one spirit.”
The outdoor ads, including digital billboards with video, will run in Los Angeles and New York, including Times Square.
