54/54 – Long Drives, Deep Talks

Directive: Convergence

So here I am, the final post of Project 54 *laughs hysterically and sobs at the same time*. It’s been a crazy ride, but my creative marathoning days are over… at least for the semester. For my last post I just want to focus on something more close and personal to me.

I’ve talked about why I like driving so much before, but I think my favorite experiences driving are when I’m with the people I love. When you’re on a long car trip, you run out of day-to-day conversation topics pretty quickly. Whenever I’m on car trips I have the best conversations. It doesn’t matter who I’m with, a group of friends, a best friend, boyfriend, or my mom, there’s something about the open road that makes people open up. It doesn’t even have to be on a road trip, I remember my boyfriend in high school and I would just drive around his neighborhood to kill time and talk about anything, everything, and nothing. Sometimes we would just park the car, open the sun roof, and put our seats back. We’d just sit and stare at the blue skies above us, talking for hours. That’s just one of the many memories I’ve had in my car and I know that everyone else has just as many stories to share as I do.  When a Volkswagen engineer designs a car, their engineering amounts to more than just a car. They engineer human connection.

I bet you could document a person’s life solely by what is said in their car. The ups, the downs, the fun times, the boring times, the love connections (and disconnections), the private moments, the greatest moments, and some of the worst moments. While we don’t physically live in our cars, we do live in them. They are undeniably a part of us. Capturing those candid, unguarded moments would capture this truth. For myself, those tiny moments and huge fights with my boyfriend, the heart-to-hearts and silliness with my best friend, and the conversations about life with my mom, all happened in the car. Everyone has their own story and their cars share in that story. Volkswagens become more than just a car, they become a part of you.

53/54 – Green with…

Directive: Convergence

Okay, so we all know the phrase green with envy, and personally I don’t like it very much. I think it’s negative and doesn’t represent the color green well. When I think of the word green, I only want good thoughts coming to my head. When I think green, I think nature, the movement for environmental responsibility, and a way of living. When I think about Volkswagen too, their green technology is helping make the world a better place. In this movement, there’s no room for envy, it’s not necessary. What is necessary is green technology in every vehicle, it shouldn’t be considered a luxury. Volkswagen is setting that standard with their innovative green technology. They’re leading the pack. So I think it’s about time we re-purpose the phrase, green with envy…

51/54 – Mountain Men

Directive: Borrowing Design

 

 

 

 

 

I took a trip to West Virginia the other week with my best friend Jessica. She won tickets to go zip lining, so we decided to make a weekend of it. On our way up, I had my eyes on the cars that passed. As we weaved through mountains and wilderness, I noticed a distinct lack of Volkswagens on the road. In the cityscape of Richmond you can barely turn a corner without seeing a Volkswagen Beetle. All of the rugged mountain men of West Virginia were driving trucks… not Volkswagens. Don’t they realize that Volkswagen’s engineering allows for easy riding through the twists and turns of a mountain? This got me thinking, what could Volkswagen change about its design to appeal to the men in the mountains?

Obviously we need to include lumber jack plaid, facial hair, and deer to appeal to this wilder breed of men (and women!). I think it would be interesting to see a more rugged side of Volkswagen as well… engineering at its primitive state.

 

 

50/54 – Choose Your Own Adventure

Directive: Predict the Future

When I was younger, I really loved the choose-your-own-adventure books. If you’ve never read one before, essentially everyone starts off with the same story at the beginning. As the story develops, you reach pauses in the story where you have to make a decision for the character. Whichever path you choose changes the course of the story. These books are great because you can read it multiple times and the story will be different each time. It’s interesting because you could read the story once and read it again, but choose a few different paths, and you could still end up with the same ending. And other times it could be the complete opposite. You get a real sense of cause & effect the more times you read the story.

These kinds of stories actually remind me quite a bit of driving. When you’re driving, you have all sorts of choices. Where are you going? What route are you going to take? Will you make any stops along the way? You may take many different routes to get to the same place everyday or maybe you prefer to go somewhere new everyday. Often times we get caught up in our routines; we drive the same way to get to the same place everyday. Maybe it’s time to treat life like a choose-your-own-adventure book. Throw out your routine, open yourself up to new possibilities, take a new path, and see what happens.

 

52/54 – A Christmas Miracle

Directive: Convergence

A Story From The Day You Were Born – Told by Mother to Daughter

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It was Christmas day during one of the worst snow storms I’ve ever seen. Your father and I were celebrating our first Christmas together as a married couple and I was almost 9 months pregnant with you. We had decided not to exchange gifts this year because we were saving money for when you arrived. Money was tight, I was out of work for a period of time and your father was just starting at a new place. However, me being me, I bought your father a suit for his new job. I was surprised that your father wasn’t more upset with me, considering he had followed the rules and didn’t get me a present. After I gave him my gift, he told me he was going to run out and get food for dinner. I protested. I didn’t want him going out in this snow storm, especially in the hunk-of-junk car we had at the time. He eventually won the argument (it can be tiring to argue or really do anything when you’re 9 months pregnant) and I retired to the couch for a nap.

I awoke about 2 hours later in a panic. I realized that my water had broke, the power was out, and your father still wasn’t back. I was so scared that the hospital wouldn’t be able to come get me and by the fact that he wasn’t back yet. Just as I was starting to hyperventilate, your father bursts into the door looking cheery.

“Where have you been,” I shouted, “I’m going into labor!”

He said, “Okay, but first I have to show you something.”

I was starting to get mad at this point. I thought to myself, um I’m trying to have our baby over here, what could you possibly show me that’s more important? He lead me to the open door and I gasped. Sitting in the driveway was a brand new Volkswagen Touareg. My face went incredulous and he responded, “I got a promotion at work last week.” I laughed and tears started to roll down my face.

“Lets go meet our baby,” he said, helping me into the new car.

Your father got the Touareg to handle the awful snow we get here. He did it so we could get to the hospital safely, but he also got it with you in mind. He knew one day you would be driving in the same snow and he wanted something you would be safe driving in. So… Merry Christmas, we love you.

49/54 – Post Apocalyptic Volkswagen

Directive: Predict the Future

It seems to be a popular stance these days that our days on Earth, as we know them, are numbered. Every other program on the History channel is about the impending apocalypse, the reality show Doomsday Preppers is a thing, and one of the most popular shows on TV right now is The Walking Dead. So if all these predictions of the end days come to fruition, what role will Volkswagen play on a post apocalyptic Earth? I guess that all depends what kind of apocalypse decides to grace us with its presence.

Zombie Apocalypse

In the case of a zombie apocalypse, the Volkswagen Beetle would be a compact, zombie-crushing, get away vehicle. Engineered by the smartest, German, doomsday-prepping, engineers in the world. Attached to the front of the car would be a bulldozer blade to push through a swarm of zombies. The windows are reenforced to ensure no zombies can break through. On the sides of the car, spikes, to ward off the zombies (bonus: you can also slam zombies into the side of the car in self-defense). The trunk is filled to the brim with survival supplies: first aid kits, food/water, weapons, fire starters, and fresh clothes. The back seat also doubles as a bed just in case you have to wait out a passing herd of zombies.

Medical Epidemic

In case of a flesh-eating, inside rotting virus that takes out the human population by storm. The Volkswagen Beetle transforms into a quarantine-mobile capable of shielding the driver from the nastiest of bugs. The inside sterilizes itself and there’s even a quarantine bubble that can inflate around the car. It will keep you safe, long enough to escape to the farthest reaches of the Earth, where the virus has yet to spread.

48/54 – The Clear Choice

Directive: Borrow Designs

Do you guys remember these?

 

As a kid, I always loved toys that were transparent like these. I thought it was so interesting that I could see all the parts that go into making my toy work. What if Volkswagen made a car like this? Where you could see every part in the car as you drive down the road. You could see the engine firing and all the gears turning. I feel like making a transparent car would be a true celebration of the engineer’s work. Rather than seeing just the final product, the driver gets to see the engineering at work.  It would also be amazing/terrifying to see the road zooming past you from under your feet. It’s more than just novelty, It’s a testament to technology & engineering. It’s engineering that you can see.

Another possible use for a clear Volkswagen, would be a teaching tool. It’s much easier to show something versus explaining it. Seeing the moving parts and reactions within a car, I imagine, would be extremely helpful to the prospective engineer. It would also be a great teaching tool for those who aren’t pursuing a career in engineering. Personally I don’t understand car talk in the slightest, I honestly couldn’t tell you the first thing about an engine or the inner workings of a car. If I had a transparent car, grasping the science & engineering behind a car would be much easier. This is what Volkswagen is all about, accessible & inclusive engineering and innovation.

 

47/54 – VW At It’s Most Natural

Directive: Simplicity

Volkswagen is a master of simple ads. They are clean and to the point, with little to no text, but you always understand the message. I wanted to create something for Volkswagen that encompassed that simplicity and conveyed Volkswagen’s movement towards greener technology. I had the idea of making a Beetle out of organic materials: wood, flowers, grass, sticks, leaves, and rocks. I feel that this conveys the message that Volkswagen has a concern for the environment and is also a small nod to the hippies that used to drive the Beetle.

 

46/54 – Luck Has Nothin’ To Do With It

Directive: Grow The Brand

Imagine the world’s most unlucky individual. Everything always goes wrong and unexpectedly for him. He buys coffee before work and spills it almost immediately all over his white button down. He double knots his shoe laces, but still manages to trip down the stairs. He only ever finds pennies face down. He’s accidentally broken 4 mirrors. He splurges on the steak dinner, but finds a hair coiled around his cut. His ex-girlfriends always end up finding “the one” right after they break up. He always forgets to throw the salt he’s spilled over his left shoulder. The poor guy can’t catch a break… that is until he gets into his Volkswagen Jetta.

When he gets into his car, it’s as if his luck completely changes. Every light is a green light, cars always let him over, and he only has near-accidents. When he thinks about it, it’s kind of weird, every time he’s almost been in an accident, his car is like a forcefield from all the bad juju. He chalks it up to a lucky streak, but what he doesn’t realize is that luck has nothing to do with it. Volkswagen’s technology has allowed him to compensate for his unluckiness, correcting the accidents before they even happen. For once in his life the world’s unluckiest man can enjoy something fully and completely, thanks to Volkswagen.

45/54 – Fun & Games

Directive: Gift 

I love when brands create interactive advertisements. It’s so much more personal, interesting, and valuable. I’m much more likely to remember brand interactions versus passively viewing an advertisement. I especially love when the advertisements turn down time into something fun. For example, waiting in line can be agonizing at times, so if Volkswagen created an interactive ad to pass the time it would turn a boring/negative experience into a positive one (that I would associate with the brand). So what if Volkswagen ran with this idea? An interactive wall at the mall, queues at Disney World, the line at Starbucks; they could create a game that highlights their fuel efficiency & engineering prowess. The goal: Create an engine to beat all other engines. To beat the other car companies’ engines you must race to the finish line while emitting the lease amount of pollution. The game could keep best scores of the day and the best scores overall. The scoreboard would be named “Honorary Engineers”. They could even expand this into an app so everyone could enjoy the game no matter where they were.