Volkswagen's "Sans Émission" campaign successfully transformed unexplored late-night TV slots into an innovative media platform. Featuring Pier-Luc Funk, the brand ambassador in Quebec, the campaign promoted Volkswagen's ID.4 model.

Thanks to strategic pre-promotion and collaborative execution with Bell and Noovo, this campaign blurred the lines between reality and fiction, capturing the attention and enthusiasm of Quebec viewers. The primary goal was to raise awareness about Volkswagen's electric vehicle offerings in a province largely dominated by Tesla.

Awarded multiple times by the industry, including at the Concours Idéa and M&M awards, this campaign also won a Silver Lion at Cannes. To learn more about the behind-the-scenes of this bold campaign, we interviewed Émilie Bertrand, Associate Director on the account.

Hi Émilie! Can you tell us about the collaboration with Bell?

Émilie: Two years before the campaign took place, the idea was born with the creative agency. The real question was: can it be done? Bell was the only broadcaster with available "off-air" slots, so we naturally approached them with our idea. They immediately jumped on board; the collaboration with them was truly a charm! The idea was to create a fake show, and Bell proposed several tailored solutions, navigating through our constraints. They showed great flexibility, both in terms of the release date and budget.

Did Volkswagen fully embrace the project?

Émilie: Honestly, convincing Volkswagen was a challenge! The clients wondered why pay for a nighttime broadcast when there’s no audience at those hours. But we believed so much in this project that we didn't give up, and perseverance paid off! After four to five presentations to the clients, the campaign was accepted at the end of April 2024, for a June release. Our long-standing relationship with Volkswagen certainly played a crucial role. When I was told that Noovo had approved and filming was starting, I couldn’t believe it! In the end, the clients are very happy with the success of this beautiful project!

"Sometimes an idea lands on your desk which you just know is so creative and so original that you have to simply buy in. the Touche team was incredibly passionate and diligent to get this project over the finish line; always keeping their spirits up even when faced with continuous headwinds. They were an absolute pleasure to work with – as always – and were integral to the successes of ‘Sans Emission’."

- Mark Dicks, Director of Retail Marketing, Volkswagen Canada

Did Pier-Luc really shoot for 4 hours?

Émilie: One of the key elements of the campaign was Pier-Luc Funk’s participation. In fact, we produced 45 minutes of content spread over four hours. It was a mix of scripted segments and improvisation. Convincing Pierre-Luc was not difficult; he jumped on board right away. It was clearly in his wheelhouse.

Do you have a fun fact to share about the campaign's conception?

Émilie: For the launch of the "Sans émission," we mimicked the launch codes of a classic series. We contacted influencers to share the show live on their social platforms to attract an audience. The morning after the broadcast, an influencer contacted us saying he had set his alarm for the wrong night and missed the broadcast. It made us laugh; it’s not often you have to set an alarm to watch a show in the middle of the night!

And finally, how does it feel to win a Cannes award?

Émilie: It still feels unreal to me how big a Cannes Lion is! It really caps off my career in advertising beautifully. For my colleague Vincent, who is just starting his career and worked closely with me on this campaign, it’s incredible! Seeing this project we believed in so much and worked so hard on being recognized by the industry is a great pride for us.

To learn more about the campaign and read the case study: https://www.touchemedia.com/en/our-work/sans-emission/