Volkswagen uses zoetropes to illustrate a populist message in first ad for the ID4

Volkswagen of America is launching its first set of TV commercials for its upcoming ID4 battery-electric compact crossover that aims to drive home the company's message of delivering electric mobility to the millions, instead of just the millionaires. The spot uses a line of zoetropes — a 19th century invention that uses a spinning disc of images to create a moving picture — to illustrate advances in transportation, from the invention of the wheel to the horse and cart, steam train and eventually to the electric car, as a woman climbs into the passenger side of an ID4 and rides away. It finishes with a written message: "History is made, when it's made for everyone." The ad, which debuted Saturday during NFL Wild Card games, was created by Johannes Leonardo. It was directed by Sam Brown, filming in a single shot, and features an original orchestral track, "Two Maps" by Seth Olinsky. All the zoetropes in the film were constructed from scratch, and the film uses animation techniques that harness sequences of hand-drawn illustrations, vintage photographs, and animations to both give the illusion and history of motion. The VW ID4 will go on sale in March at a starting price of $41,190, including shipping but excluding any federal or state incentives, after VW delayed iInitial plans to launch it in December in the U.S.

Volkswagen uses zoetropes to illustrate a populist message in first ad for the ID4

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