Director Lance Acord on piecing together Volkswagen’s sweeping Super Bowl story

On a strong night for automotive advertising on the Super Bowl, Volkswagen’s spot was one of our favorites. Created by Johannes Leonardo and directed by Lance Acord, it told the sweeping historical story of the German brand in America—from the arrival of the Beetle in 1949 to the advent of the electric ID Buzz, coming this year. Ad Age Young Creatives In the behind-the-scenes clip below, Acord, co-founder of Park Pictures, talks about the storytelling and craft of the piece—how he was able to assemble the story in different chapters, carry the emotional throughline across the decades, and use different film stocks to portray the different eras. It’s also interested to hear how he visually bookended the piece with the Beetle and ID Buzz. “It was so much fun to go back and revisit the Mini Darth character. I mean, it's become such a staple of Super Bowl advertising,” Acord says of the the section referencing “The Force,” the 2011 spot that Acord also directed for the brand—one of the most famous and beloved Big Game spots ever. Also read: Inside Park Pictures’ 25 years of cinematic storytelling Below, check out the extended two-minute version of “An American Love Story,” which aired as a 60-second spot on the Super Bowl. And also check out our Super Bowl ad reviews, where we rate every spot that aired on Sunday.

Director Lance Acord on piecing together Volkswagen’s sweeping Super Bowl story

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