SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – Volkswagen’s biggest South American launch in recent memory is now taking a starring role in Money Heist, Wednesday, Cobra Kai, The Witcher, and the film Persuasion, in the spot “Arrivals,” created by AlmapBBDO and coproduced with Netflix’s creative team.
This groundbreaking partnership between Volkswagen Brazil and Netflix, the first in Latin America to incorporate several of the platform’s narratives in a single advertising campaign, is a blockbuster production shot entirely in Brazil. The SUVW Tera becomes a character in its own right and is transported into multiple shows and a film in the campaign, with scenes shot 100% in accordance with the authenticity of the Netflix universe, placing Volkswagen’s latest hit at the heart of these epic productions.
“The Volkswagen Tera is arriving in the role it was meant to play: a star of great stories,” says Livia Kinoshita, director of marketing for Volkswagen Brazil and SAM. “And to connect the most important launch in Volkswagen Brazil’s recent history with millions of people across all sorts of worlds and audiences, in an utterly refreshing, authentic, and surprising way, we struck a groundbreaking partnership with Netflix in the platform’s first multi-story campaign in Latin America. ‘Arrivals’ features the SUVW Tera as the star of Money Heist, Wednesday, Cobra Kai, The Witcher, and Persuasion. We used an innovative fusion of real life, fiction, and entertainment to introduce the Tera, a car that’s an irresistible invitation for anyone looking for incredible stories in shows, on the streets, and in their life.”
“The launch of the SUVW Tera represents one of the most daring, innovative, and creative strategies Volkswagen Brazil has ever employed,” says Ciro Possobom, president and CEO of Volkswagen Brazil. “Our goal is to be a brand that’s increasingly human and a part of people’s lives; that’s why we connected the model to entertainment and contemporary lifestyles. It all started with a teaser of the new Tera at Rock in Rio 2024, with the SUVW camouflaged behind an LED glass curtain. Our unorthodox avant-première saw the Tera gliding through Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Sambadrome. We were the first manufacturer to unveil a car during Carnival, the biggest celebration of its kind anywhere in the world. Then came the launch at C6 Fest, at Ibirapuera Park, followed by the biggest launch sale in Volkswagen’s history: we received over 12,000 orders in 50 minutes, a testament to our strategy and the strength of our network of dealerships. Now, this campaign and its groundbreaking partnership with Netflix have come to cap off the Tera’s wildly successful ride.”
The film “Arrivals,” by AlmapBBDO, celebrates the Tera as Volkswagen’s newest icon, putting its concept in step with contemporary pop culture and transporting the car to instantly recognizable Netflix worlds, with shots in which the SUVW’s arrival becomes an iconic entrance scene. The idea is to reinforce that whenever the Tera arrives, it’s unforgettable.
In shaping the campaign, Netflix’s creative excellence ensured the best use of its powerful content, always focusing on fans’ connection to what makes each story so special. And since the initiative involved shows and a film from three different countries, Netflix offices from across the world were called in to provide insights on what represented the essence of each production.
“At Netflix, we believe in the power of stories to connect people, cultures, and generations,” says Fernanda Guimarães, Netflix’s brand partnerships director. “When brands step into these narrative worlds in a way that’s authentic and creative, they can have a tremendous impact. The Tera campaign with Volkswagen is a clear example of how entertainment and advertising can join forces in a genuine way to create something that goes far beyond viewers’ screens. This wasn’t just product placement, it was a collaboration between creatives at AlmapBBDO, Volkswagen, and our creative team, who work to help agencies and brands explore the best of Netflix to tell new stories – and capture our members’ attention in the process. By dialoguing directly with the fandoms of shows such as Wednesday, Money Heist, and The Witcher, we were able to build both cultural and emotional relevance. That’s what makes the campaign so powerful: it leverages audience engagement and uses Netflix’s unique assets – our stories and our fans – to forge a real connection between brand and audience.”
The campaign’s creative concept – “Just from the entrance, you can tell it’s an icon. Introducing the Volkswagen Tera. A new icon for your new era” – also speaks to the mission of presenting the SUVW Tera with a triumphant entrance. This model 100% designed, developed, and produced in Brazil makes Volkswagen the first brand in the nation to offer exclusive automotive AI, with a combination of cutting-edge technology, safety, and a competitive price. This is, without a doubt, Volks’ latest icon.
“Our inspiration was an epic entrance scene, when all the attention and all the eyes turn to the protagonist. Volkswagen has always had iconic cars, like the Beetle and the Gol. The new Tera has that same aura, as the SUV that’s kicking off a completely new segment for Volks in Brazil,” explain AlmapBBDO creative directors Francis Alan França and Gustavo Tasselli. “That’s why it made all the sense in the world to let it shine in the context of some of Netflix’s biggest and best-known productions.”
SUVW Tera sets a new record: over 12,000 orders in 50 minutes
The newly launched SUVW Tera is already a sales phenomenon! Volkswagen Brazil shocked the market with stunning turnout: over 12,000 orders of the new Tera in just 50 minutes. In the brand’s biggest “Open Doors” sales event in its history, on June 5 at Volkswagen’s 473 dealerships across Brazil, the SUVW Tera proved from day one of sales that it’s the newest icon from VW. Click here to find out more.
CREDITS
Agency: AlmapBBDO
Advertiser: Volkswagen
Title: Arrivals
Product: Tera
President and CEO: Filipe Bartholomeu
CCO: Pernil
Creative Directors: Francis Alan and Gustavo Tasselli
Client Services: Christiano Bock, Mariana Nanes, Juliana Stern, Camila Teles, Vitória Silano, Isabella Nascimento
CSO: João Gabriel
Planning: Daniel de Tomazo, Marcelo Bazan, Isabela Panico, Mariana Teixeira
Content Strategy: Cristiana Uehara, Glaucia Oliveira, Jaíne Ramos, and Ana Beatriz Lopes
AV Production: Diego Villas Boas, Vera Jacinto, Paula Buzzi, and Aline Silva
CDMO: Rafaela Alves
Media: Luana Guerra Gallizzi, Laura Almeida Paganini Martins, Lucas Fanti Del Vage, Isadora Lee Barbosa, and Fabiana Amorim Flavio
Media Performance: Rafael Henrique Marcelino de Oliveira, Bruna Silva Tavares, Mauricio Toledo, and Marcelo Yutaka Misumi
Data and BI: Bruno Miracco, Alba Oliveira, André Lembo, and Aline De Jesus Torquato
Social Insights: Gustavo Arakawa and Leonardo Lago
Digital
SEO: Mayk Santos Souza, Jeniffer Elaina da Silva, and Karina Nasser
UX: Paulo Savela and Mônica Salvador
Project Leader: Sabrina Ramiles
Head of Creative Tech: Lilian Cavallini
Client Approval: Lívia Kinoshita, Helena Oliveira, Thayrine Pivetta Guerino, Nathalia Furlan, Arthur Rocha, Laura Dante, Tomas Amorena, Jaqueline Saud, Hernan Failace, Milena Petronieri, Giovana Capelini, and Marcela Lanna
Netflix:
Brand Partnerships Director, Netflix Brazil: Fernanda Guimarães
Creative Lead Marketing Partnerships for Latam: Daniela Albuquerque
Brand Partnerships Manager, Netflix Brazil: Dida Louvise
Creative Manager, Marketing Partnerships, Netflix Brazil: Gabriel França
Creative Production Manager for Brand Partnerships, Netflix Brazil: Ricardo Magozo
Production Company: MyMama Entertainment
Director (Hero): Kid Burro
Director (Cuts): Ana Valente
Creative Assistant: Luigi Madormo
Producers: André Pinho, Mayra Faour Auad, Gabrielle Auad, and Nathalie Gautier
Executive Producer and Coordination Director: João da Terra
Account Director: Patricia Caldas
Account Management: Rafael de Paula and Tabata Viana
Coordination Assistants: Paulo Marco and Gabriel Eustaquio
Social Media: Eduardo Reis
DIRECTION
1st Assistant Director: Ju Pellegrino
2nd Assistant Directors (Hero): Leticia Azevedo and Bia Oioli
2nd Assistant Directors (Cuts): Henrique Schaefer
HERO UNIT – CINEMATOGRAPHY
DP: Bibi Bianchini
1st Camera Assistant: Paty Gimennez
2nd Camera Assistant: Gabriela Bortolon
Video Assist Operator: Arthur Boeno
Logger: Juliano Moreira
Steadycam: Vinicius Corso
Location Sound Engineer: Guilherme Cássio
Boom Operator: Victor Mascarenhas
Gaffer: Beto Ramos
1st Electrician: Maurício Zucolotto Costa Leite
2nd Electricians: Flavio Pinheiro and Frederico Ramos
Electrician Helpers: Christian Spanamberg, Giovanni Dias, Paulo Jose O’Donnell, Lucas Coelho Rosa e Silva
Key Grip: Carlos Leandro Nogueira da Rosa
1st Grips: Fabio Da Silva Dias
2nd Grips: Walter Medaglia, Rodrigo Lopes, and Ismael Santos
Grip Helpers: Bruna Canto, Charles Gonçalves, and Juan Carlos Rosa
2ND UNIT – CUTS
DP: Dariely Belke
1st Assistant Camera: Marcelo Ostrovski
2nd Assistant Camera: Gerson Fagundes
Video Assist Operator: Fabiano Faria Lins de Oliveira
1st Electrician: Cleber Kuhn
Electrician Helpers: Josué Da Costa Celaro and Claudio Rech Reginato
Key Grip: Alcimar Bairros da Silva
1st Grip: Marcelo Ferrugem
2nd Grip: Breno Rizzon Filho
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY
Photographer: Ivan Abujamra
Still Photography Assistants: Charles Willy and Eduardo Caparito
PRODUCTION
Head of Production: Daniel Lombardi
Producer: Aline Simmi
2nd Production Assistants: Sofia Lombardi, Giulia Belmonte Kist, and Victoria Valenti
ART
Art Director: Vicente Saldanha
Art Assistant: Gabriella Olivo
Set Designer: Antonio Carlos Oliveira Gomes Da Silva
Art Producer: João Vitor Copetti Teixeira
Props Producers: Camila Vettorazi and Daniele Chiquito
Props Assistants: Julia Melgarejo, Carolina Moreira de Souza Camargo
Set Dresser: Victoria Melgarejo
Set Dresser Assistants: Gustavo Guga, Juliana Peres, Maikel Oliveira, Vinicius Gonçalves de Souza, Gabriel Filippi, Tarsila Louzano, Gustavo Maggi and Julio Cesar Noimann
Art Loaders: Enzo Pereira Domingues and William De Souza Giehl
AUDIO PRODUCTION
Audio Production Company: Cabaret
Musical Production: Guile Oliveira
Composers: Guilherme Azem and André Henrique
Mixing: Gab Scatolin
Final Sound Editing: Rafael Laurenti and Mauro Kuschnir
Client Services: Ingrid Lopes, Fernanda Crespo and Bárbara Russiano
Coordination: Chandra Lima, Mavi Capelasso, Leonardo Vieira and Débora Mello
CAST
Casting Producer: Amanda Michelini
Casting Assistants: Jordan Maia and Kellen Linhares
Cast – Hero/Cuts: Raul Villa, Alice Buchweitz, Alan Correia, Bruno Kriger, Ohana Homem, Sofia Costa, Jean Lucca, Mariana Carvalho, Helena Roche, Nicolas Reis, Martha Brito, Carolina Grando, Diego Medina, Ana Claudia Pereira, Philipe Philipsen, Arthur Felix, Pedro Friuk, Fafnir, Matheus Michelon, Tarina Sato, Alfredo Beber, Yohan François, Aline Lash, Andre Borges, and Ricardo Gazola
LOCATIONS
Location Manager: Bruno Palaoro
Location Assistants: Marcelo Frangipani, Carolina Arantes and Victor Curi
Wardrobe Stylist: Betinha
Wardrobe Assistants: Tainá de Castro, Ananda Frazão, Dandarah Lanzine and Luíse Renon
Wardrobe Attendants: Adriana Talaveira and Márcia Gorski
HAIR, MAKEUP, AND CHARACTER DESIGN
Character Designer: Baby Marques
Make & Hair: Dan
