Volkswagen to Spotlight 'Punch Dub' Game in Super Bowl Ad, Online Campaign Touting Product Family

Introduces Classic "Punch Buggy" Game with Modern Day Twist; Super Bowl Ad Features Cameo from Actor and Comedian

Yahoo! Finance

Press Release Source: Volkswagen of America, Inc. On Thursday January 28, 2010, 1:48 pm EST
HERNDON, Va. Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today a new campaign called "Punch Dub," an update on the classic Punch Buggy game, designed to increase model awareness and familiarity by reminding consumers of all the Volkswagens on the road. Â The "Punch Dub" campaign is based on the classic game that kids used to play back in the original Beetle's heyday called "Punch Buggy" (or "Slug Bug"), where the first person to see a Beetle would yell, "Punch Bug" and playfully slug his or her friend. Â Volkswagen will debut the "Punch Dub" (as in VEE-Dub) campaign in a 30-second ad during the third quarter of Super Bowl XLIV and through a new online campaign. The ad, which includes a special cameo by actor and comedian Tracy Morgan, will show a variety of people in different driving situations gently slugging others in the arm every time they spot a Routan, Tiguan, CC or any other Volkswagen model.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100128/PH45688 )
"Punch Dub is a fun, engaging way to reintroduce Volkswagen and its growing product family to millions of Americans during one of the most watched television events of the year, the Super Bowl," said Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing, Volkswagen of America. Â "The campaign is a modern twist on a classic game that has been played on America's highways for generations and will help consumers gain a new perspective on the breadth of our vehicle offerings, quality, performance and value."
"Volkswagen is one of the most beloved brands in this country, but people have a misperception that it only sells cars for the young. We needed to find a way to let people know that Volkswagen makes thirteen different models, in a way that still felt right for the brand," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO/Chief Creative Officer of Deutsch LA. "Changing the game of 'Punch Bug' to the game of 'Punch Dub' and making it about all Volkswagen is the perfect way to do that. It tells you something nobody knows in a way that everyone can relate to."
Volkswagen is also revealing that it has found the creator of the original game, Charlie "Sluggy" Patterson. Â Fans can interact with Sluggy beginning today with a special blog and Twitter feed (http://www.sluggy.posterous.com/ and www.twitter.com/sluggypatterson) and in a series of videos on You Tube (www.youtube.com/vw).
An online version of "Punch Dub" (www.facebook.com/vw) will launch on Super Bowl Sunday and will engage people with the entire Volkswagen product family and encourage people to dole out virtual "slugs" to friends and family. Players will simply pick any one of thirteen Volkswagen vehicles, customize their punch and choose a Facebook friend. Â An online guide will help players develop and hone their punching techniques. Â The more friends you punch, the better your chances are of winning a weekly prize (6-month leases on specific vehicles listed online) and the Grand Prize: a new Volkswagen CC.
The Super Bowl spot and "Punch Dub" campaign were developed for Volkswagen by its new creative agency, Deutsch LA. Â For more information on Volkswagen and "Punch Dub", visit http://www.media.vw.com/.

Chicken or the Egg 3: The melting pot.

Speed Hero

2010 January 25
by discoquinn
So, which of these came first? The answer may surprise you.


This isn’t exactly the same challenge as the previous two Chicken or Egg posts. The answer is surprising because there is none! And it has nothing to do with the Routan and Caravan being the same platform upon shared technology and co-ownership of the two companies…..
I’m not very good at determining if something is ironic or not, but it seems odd to me, the definition of the minivan is still not quite defined in my eyes, thus who started said minivans is questionable? Was it Chrysler as they claim with their 1983 Caravan/Voyager?

Or was it VW with their Type 2?

Now before you get your self all in a huff, “the type 2 was loooong before the caravan!!!!” let’s consider, or at least try to refine and define the definition of a minivan? From a literal stand point, it means small van.

Is it just the fact that is it a van in a manufacturers line up that is smaller than another one that they offer? It is the mini-me of the van world? So Chrysler had both their full size van, and mini van, thus they were the first in the world to offer a mini van for family use since VW didn’t make a full size van to claim theirs as a mini van?

You’d be pretty wrong though, as VW, since 1975, has offered a full size van along side the sales of their T2. The VW LT is a commercial vehicle sold and used for basically everything, from dump trucks to camper vans. So maybe it’s related to how the vehicle is constructed?

Perhaps it’s because the Caravan was based on a car platform, making it more friendly to drive and less rugged for daily use? Well, that can’t be it either….

Because the type 2, was based on a beetle platform.
Silly Chrysler
And I’m sure you’ve seen the others, click pictures for links!

---

Chrysler van factory idled

Part shortage blamed in Windsor shutdown

Detroit Free Press
BY GREG GARDNER
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

Chrysler will stop making minivans at its Windsor assembly plant for about a week, beginning Monday, because of an unspecified parts shortage the automaker expects to resolve in time to resume production Feb. 1.
The company would not identify the part or the supplier that is causing the disruption. A statement attributed the one-week shutdown to "continued stress in the automotive supply chain."
Rick Laporte, president of Canadian Auto Workers Local 444, said the plant will stop because of a shortage of a plastic part for the key fob. Production at the plant had resumed this past Monday after a four-week extended holiday shutdown. …
Chrysler dealers in the U.S. had more than a month's supply of Dodge Caravans and 55 days' worth of the Chrysler Town & Country. Most automakers regard 60-days' supply to be adequate.
Chrysler workers in Windsor also produce the Volkswagen Routan minivan.
"There should not be any lost sales, but the vehicles we don't build next week will have to be made up in coming weeks," Laporte said. …

2010 Volkswagen Routan: Loading Zone - Family Car Guide

Family Car Guide
By cliff leppke January 23rd, 2010

Side Exterior View - 2010 Volkswagen Routan 4-door Wagon SE
Enlarge Photo
A … VW-branded Mopar-built minivan called the Routan. It has unique body panels, a retuned suspension and a Euro-style dash pad. Otherwise, its similar to Chrysler's Town & Country.
Its strong suit: cargo hauling. It easily ingests bulky items. Unlike Chrysler's vans, Routans don't have the mid-row, Stow 'n Go seating. That's a bonus; the wider chairs, which cannot tuck under the floor, are more comfortable. You remove them or fold them. The latter exposes sharp under-seat hardware.
The third-row, split bench is motorized. It acrobatically moves fore-and-aft, folds into a floor well or back flips creating a tailgater's lounge. Other trick features include swiveling overhead LED spotlights, motorized sliding side doors and self-lifting rear lid. There are two glove boxes. The navigation system requires an intensive training session; resetting home is difficult. In contrast, there's a simple voice-prompt demo. The rear-view camera's image is atmospheric Stieglitz--soft and grainy.
Aesthetically, the interior has European shapes and materials but fabric tufts look untidy and doors aren't ergonomically sculpted. Instrument faces slant making daytime reflections problematic. Plastic-covered, seat-mounted armrests rattled. Watch your feet. Due to insufficient space, toes are pinched between the dashboard's lower edge and the brake pedal. A sharp metal bracket adjacent to the throttle pedal threatens. The sliding front console jams.
Ride quality seems resilient but expansion joints produce kicks. It sounds hushed but wind rush, suspension clunks and the groaning engine are noticeable.
Handling is a sore spot. If the Routan's suspension is Euro-tuned, it's intended for an Autobahn rest area. Steering is slow, inert. Get frisky and the Bridgestone tires scream. Stability program kicks in early. In addition, the brakes feel overwhelmed.
There are two engine options. This one's 251-hp, 4.0-liter V-6 with six-speed automatic transmission, gets better mpg than the base 3.8-liter. While the engine and tranny collaborate, it frequently downshifts from sixth to fifth. EPA figures: 17 mpg city; 25 highway. I observed 18 mpg; mid-grade fuel recommended.
A Routan SEL's base price is nearly $37,000, as equipped it's $42,000. Expect discounts.
Get an in-depth review at TheCarConnection's 2010 Volkswagen Routan page

Volkswagen Routan Review

TireKicker Blog Michael Hagerty, Founder/Editor

By now, the word is out to the extent that there are Amish who know that the Volkswagen Routan is a re-badged Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country minivan.
So was Brooke Shields lying to us about that "German engineering" stuff?
Not really.
See, VW did go in and re-work the suspension...so technically, it's German engineering.
And while it's not engineering per se, we'll give thumbs up to the VW crew who gave it a more attractive front and rear styling treatment.

They also ripped out a ton of cheap interior materials and put in the good...well, decent...stuff for the Routan.

So, from a handling, appearance and interior quality (or at least "niceness") standpoint, you really have to say that the VW Routan is what Chrysler should have built in the first place.
I drove the mid-pack SE model with Trim Pack 2 (sunroof, adjustable pedals, roof rails and an auto-adjustable rear suspension. It also had heatable front seats and a remote starter.
Bottom line: $32,720. Much better than the over-optioned Dodge Grand Caravan that started with a base price 2 grand cheaper than the Routan but ended up at 41 grand and change.
The EPA says it's good for 16 miles per gallon in the city, 23 on the highway (the 6-speed automatic helps).
And it's five stars on all the crash tests (four on rollover).
So, if you want a Dodge Grand Caravan or Chrysler Town & Country, the best one might be a VW Routan.
That's fine, but I'd prefer for Dodge and Chrysler to build them right themselves and for VW to build...VWs. Like the VW Microbus concept they teased us with at the beginning of the decade.
If you agree, let VW know. Given that only 5,000 or so Routans have found homes so far this year, they're probably considering options.

UPDATE: With both GM and Ford out of the minivan business and the asian minivans fairly long in the tooth, I thought it was time for another taste of the Routan.
Everything above still stands...and until Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Kia show up with their new ones (2011 and later), the VW Routan (equipped as above) would be my choice, playing with my own money.

Volkswagen committed to North American minivan market

canada.com

By Ellen van Wageningen, The Windsor StarJanuary 11, 2010

Chrysler Windsor Assembly plant validation line worker Ernie Renaud, right, checks out a Volkswagon Routan in this file photo.

Photograph by: Nick Brancaccio, The Windsor Star

DETROIT -- Volkswagen remains committed to producing and selling minivans in North America despite launching the Windsor-made Routan in the midst of a crippling recession.
Volkswagen America president and CEO Stefan Jacoby said Monday the company is already making plans for the future that could include extending its current five-year partnership with Chrysler to build the Routan in Windsor.
"We are investigating and we take into consideration a further extension of collaboration with our partner for the minivan, Chrysler, but we are also taking into consideration to develop this vehicle by ourselves," Jacoby said following the company's press conference at the North American International Auto Show.
Asked to elaborate on future minivan plans Jacoby would only say "stay tuned."…
By the end of the year the company had sold 17,309 Routans in North America, below expectations and only a sliver of the market. Chrysler, for example, sold 175,224 minivans in the United States in 2009, while Volkswagen sold 14,681. The Routan, which is built on a Chrysler minivan platform, is also sold in Canada and Mexico.
The German automaker, which is aiming to lead global vehicle sales by 2018, is prepared to be patient and still sees the minivan as a significant player in its strategy to double its sales in North American in the next couple of years, Jacoby said.
"We launched this car in the eye of the perfect storm, so to say. We see more and more acceptance for the Routan and we do believe Volkswagen should have a minivan in the future," he said.
"We believe we have reached the middle of the black tunnel in 2009 and we now see light at the end of the tunnel."…
© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star

Volkswagen Routan walkaround

I found this on Automotive News on Wheels blog:

Meet the Volkswagens – Routan Meets Odyssey

I found this on Automotive News on Wheels blog:

Automotive News-MotorWeek Road Test: 2009 Volkswagen Routan

December YTD 2009 Routan Sales

This is not an official release from Volkswagen of America. The Routan is holding its market share, even though Volkswagen of America has not had an active advertising agency for a number of months. The Routan has to establish its identity, since the American public has not thought of Volkswagen as a minivan brand for several years.

On February 6, 2008, Associated Press reported, in part: "[Volkswagen of America President and CEO Stefan] Jacoby said the minivan market still is approaching 1 million vehicles a year, and Volkswagen would like to capture 3 to 5 per cent of that."

PRNewswire published the December and YTD sales figures of the auto-makers who sell in the U.S. From these reports, we glean the following data:

Brand YTD - 12/09

Chrysler 84,558

Dodge 90,666

Honda 100,133

Hyundai 3,433

Kia 27,398

Mazda 18,488

Nissan 8,437

Toyota 84,064

Volkswagen 14,681

Total 431,858

Volkswagen's market share of sales is 3.40%, right where Volkswagen of America was aiming for. Volkswagen has gained market share where they had none.