DDB Group Aotearoa

Client: Volkswagen
Product: Commercial vehicles
Title: The Greenprint
Media: Posters, voice activated website, conversion kit, vehicle wrap.
Country: New Zealand
Date Of Campaign: 12 June 2023

Background: Kombi drivers are a passionate bunch. They own their cars for years and pass them down through generations. Once upon a time they were the poster children for progressiveness and a better world. Unfortunately the Kombi is still a petrol car. As part of Volkswagen’s push to a more sustainable future we wanted to leverage the original spirit of flower power and the Kombi, but to do that we needed to make a change to the Kombi itself.

Idea: Introducing The Greenprint. An open source set of plans that anyone can use to turn their Kombi into an EV, in 20 easy-ish steps. We made an all-in-one kit available, or owners could source the parts themselves with our approved list, and not pay us a cent. An online hub housed further details about each step, along with user generated videos and FAQs – by the people, for the people in true VW spirit.

Results: 2,000 Greenprint plans have been downloaded so far, impressive for a country that only has 1,000 registered Kombis. And for every conversion undertaken, an average of 1.7 tonnes of Co2 will be saved, per year. Because sometimes the best new car for the planet is an old one.