Playful visuals, a beguiling mystery and a charming payoff add up nicely in Ogilvy South Africa’s latest strong work for Volkswagen, promoting the new Tiguan SUV.

The 60-second spot shows a man loading a box into his Tiguan and embarking on what turns out to be quite the fantastical drive indeed. A single pink balloon, spotted through the sun roof, sets things in motion. From there, the driver sees a man walking a trio of balloon dogs; a giant inflated castle on an otherwise ordinary city block; a speeding van that looks like a giant piñata; and a concrete building that comes to life as a robot.

At the end, the spot reveals the source of these seeming hallucinations—to make a memorable point about safety that feels true to life.

The spot was directed by Karien Cherry at Giant Films, with visual effects by Chocolate Tribe. The music track, “Always on My Mind” by Chris Staples, adds the perfect mellow vibe. The result is a kind of inverse of Audi “Clowns”—similarly circus-like, but welcoming rather than menacing.

Also read: VW South Africa launched a night-driving school to reduce accidents after dark

“I jumped at the chance to create a film with this kind of gentle, whimsical tone—something I could imbue with a strong sense of feeling and real visual craft,” said Cherry. “The character designs, pace of the edit, mood of the track, grade and performance all played a role in creating a film that left you feeling good and at ease. From the flow of the balloons and piñata truck tassels, to the mechanical motions and weathered look of our charming robot, every piece played a part.”

See a making-of video here:

The work continues VW South Africa’s focus on safety, which has also included starting a night school to teach driving after dark.

“Safety has been a big focus for the brand and we’re always looking to create work that speaks to the heart of the consumer, and makes them feel something towards the product,” said Alex Goldberg, creative partner at Ogilvy South Africa.

“We live in busy times with so many distractions that we’re not always thinking about the road when we’re behind the wheel. We get it. Which is why the new Tiguan with IQ.DRIVE Safety system has been designed with life in mind,” said Bridget Harpur, head of marketing at VW South Africa.

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