It’s not the new Knight Rider (which returns on NBC this year), but Max, a talking, black 1964 Volkswagen Käfer—Beetle to Anglophones—which will front a campaign for Volkswagen of America launching today called Das Auto.
   Max will interview, in a talk show setting, supermodel Heidi Klum, TV personality David Hasselhoff—who should have no problems conversing with a black car—actor and director Leonard Nimoy, NASA astronaut Richard Searfoss, music-sharing innovator Shawn Fanning, and former basketball coach Bob Knight.
   Volkswagen wants to stress not its premium image as it has done of late, but its impact on popular culture through the message, ‘It’s what the people want,’ tying in to the origins of its name.
   The campaign breaks on TV, online, and in print, as well as on social media channels.
   Tim Ellis, vice-president of marketing at Volkswagen of America, says, ‘Max personifies Volkswagen’s past, present and vision for the future. Through him, we will reconnect with American consumers and let them know how Volkswagen understands and responds to what the people want.’
   The American public will first meet Max in a series of teaser ads in major market daily newspapers that will seed him and introduce his knowledge of what the people want. To complement the print ads, an interactive polling program will simultaneously roll out on vw.com. A collection of 30-second television spots will follow throughout April.

Related posts

• Martin Scorsese to direct Chanel ads, starring Gaspard Ulliel
• Vintage by Kate Moss releases ad image, TVC
• Eva Longoria, Tony Parker in London Fog holiday campaign
• Lancôme releases English-language Hypnose TVC with Daria Werbowy
• Chanel unveils Jean-Pierre Jeunet-directed promo starring Audrey Tautou