Volkswagen and MediaCom Bring Back Shark Week Adventure

NEW YORK, Aug. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- It's not every day that a beetle can take on a shark, but MediaCom has wagered that the Volkswagen Beetle is once again up for the task for Discovery Channel's insanely popular Shark Week. Last week, viewers were able to tune in to Discovery to see the return of the Beetle shark cage, a fully operational and submersible vehicle that actually drives in shark-infested waters – but this time, it's a fast-moving convertible.

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MediaCom has reteamed with Discovery Channel, agency partners Deutsch LA and Edelman, Volkswagen engineers and shark photographers in turning the iconic Beetle Convertible into an underwater shark cage. Last year, cameras followed the process from designing and building the cage to actually driving it on the ocean floor. The result was an exciting original series that aired on TV and online during Shark Week.

Besides winning two Cannes Media Lions Awards and a Creative Media Award, the campaign has also been recognized by the One Show Entertainment Awards, Festival of Media Awards and the M&M Global Awards.

"With such blockbuster success in year one, we had no choice but to raise the stakes," said Adam Pincus, who heads up MediaCom's branded content unit, MediaCom Beyond Advertising. "This year, we not only turned the car into a convertible, but we equipped it with ailerons and more thrusters, meaning it can actually fly through the water."

Volkswagen returned to Shark Week this year as presenting sponsor. Deutsch LA and Discovery once again collaborated to develop a Subaquatic Road Trip along a known Shark Super Highway using the tricked-out Beetle Convertible cage. As part of an amplified social and digital presence, the teams have also created an amazing interactive experience that allows viewers to witness the underwater journey firsthand, complete with 360-degree views of the surroundings.

"We had such an overwhelmingly positive response from both VW and Shark Week fans last year that we really wanted to create some engaging and unique shark content across multiple mediums that they'd enjoy," said Justin Osborne, general manager, marketing communications, Volkswagen of America. "We're always looking for creative ways to extend our brand beyond traditional channels like TV, and Shark Week provides the perfect platform to do that."

To watch the Beetle Convertible shark cage in action, viewers can tune in to Discovery Channel, visit sharkweek.com/vw and follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #VWSharkWeek.

About MediaCom
MediaCom is one of the world's leading media communications specialists, with billings exceeding US $28 billion (Source: RECMA 2012). It employs 4,600 people in 113 offices across 89 countries around the globe. The company's strategy is driven by its "People first, better results" philosophy, which places people – consumers, clients and employees – at its core to generate optimum business results. The MediaCom family includes a number of industry-leading divisions, such as: MediaCom Entertainment & Sports Partnerships (ESP), our strategic consultancy specializing in helping brands engage consumers through their passion points; MediaCom Interaction, a global digital and interactive marketing agency, which uses future-forward proprietary technology to grow client businesses; direct response agency MediaCom Direct, which creates close, measured connections with consumers; branded content specialists MediaCom Beyond Advertising; sports sponsorship and strategy team MediaCom Sport; and MediaCom Business Science, which ensures clients achieve maximum sales return. MediaCom Worldwide is a member of WPP, the world's largest marketing communications services group, and part of GroupM, WPP's consolidated media investment management arm. For more information, visit www.mediacom.com.

SOURCE MediaCom