Share

The latest campaign from Volkswagen, in partnership with creative agency Johannes Leonardo. Directed by Olivia Wilde, Water Girl is Wilde's first endeavour directing an automotive commercial.

As a brand that has always bucked convention, Volkswagen SUVs are made to do anything but fit in. Instead of typical car ads that highlight the features of a car, Water Girl harnesses real human storytelling. In this way, the VW Atlas stands out as the family SUV with the space and style that enables you to show up for those you care about in your own way.

Debuting during the Olympics broadcast from Sunday July 28, Water Girl shows a little girl filling up 17 eclectic vessels with water and loading them into a Volkswagen Atlas. It’s later revealed that she is the Water Girl for her sister’s soccer team. Much like the Atlas, the hero and her cups are anything but conventional, in the best possible way.

Volkswagen – Water Girl

Credits
powered by Source

Unlock full credits and more with a Source + shots membership.

Credits powered by Source

This isn’t a series of spots where reality is exaggerated, these are real girls, captured in all their glory. They don’t feel the pressure to behave a certain way and are given the freedom to be themselves. These spots are just as much about the families that would buy a car that stands out and plays by its own rules, as they are about the car itself.

With Olivia Wilde at the helm, the campaign was developed and created predominantly by a team of women, both on the creative and production side. In a male-dominated space, having a women-led team brings a freshness and authenticity to the advertising, not often seen or celebrated in automotive.

Wilde's signature charm is highly visible in Water Girl. Her unique talent for authentic casting adds immense depth to the spot. Ensuring that the work felt genuine, it was equally important to Wilde to portray the lead, in a way that felt like they had been plucked directly from the real world, for the viewers to observe her in a special moment.

Share