Volkswagen launches midlife crisis retreat advertising campaign

Volkswagen is set to launch an innovative web-based campaign which continues the theme of the popular ‘midlife crisis’ adverts featuring the Passat model.

Carrying the tagline ‘When all around are losing their heads, keep yours’ the new advert invites recipients to visit the fictitious ‘Midlife Crisis Retreat.’ Here they can learn more about the Passat and, its creators hope, a little more about themselves.

Designed as a tongue-in-cheek exercise the advanced software used in the site’s creation allows it to be tailored specifically to visitors deemed by friends or family to be suffering a midlife crisis. Nominations can be made by filling out a simple online form resulting in a unique message from the fictitious clinic inviting the nominated individual to visit. When the recipient clicks on the link contained within the email they’re guided to The Midlife Crisis Retreat site and a unique greeting from the pseudo psychiatrist.

Here they find the ‘midlife crisis test’ designed to rate their susceptibility and raise a smile as well as introducing fictional characters and scenarios based around the ‘crisis’ theme.

Although largely intended as a light-hearted exercise the site also contains detailed information on the Volkswagen Passat and forthcoming R36 models.

The Midlife Crisis Retreat site can be found at: midlife-crisis-retreat.co.uk

The Passat, now in its sixth generation, has proved a sustained hit with UK buyers with over 38,000 vehicles sold in the UK alone in 2006.