What sets these advertisements apart from other foreign shoots in Australia is that Volkswagen did not come to Australia because they wanted Australia to be part of the advertisements: Bowral, south of Sydney, was dressed to be Kentucky and Burren Junction in north west New South Wales played the role of the Nevada desert.

"Last year we filmed an advertisement for the Volkswagen Golf in New Zealand and we were very impressed by the New Zealand and Australian crew with whom we worked," says George Rogers, Brand Development Director for Volkswagen’s US advertising agency, Arnold Advertising. "So we knew that Australia could offer the technical and creative quality to match anything in the US and, when we did the sums, it became clear that we could save more than a third of our entire budget by doing the shoot in Australia."

Remarkable as it may seem, this includes flying five Volkswagen Golfs and Ventos to Australia, as well as half a dozen key American personnel.

The savings are made up in the actors and creative people behind the camera; technical production costs are about a third cheaper and accommodation and travel costs are less.

Also at the time of year that the advertisement was shot - our late summer, their winter - the overall shoot was shorter because our working day was longer, 10 to 12 hours per day compared to seven to eight hours a day in a US winter day. Weather is less of a factor, especially with a good old fashioned southerly buster ensuring that there was plenty of rain on the Bowral shoot to keep everything Kentucky green.

All of this adds up to a spend of more than $2.0 million Australian.

Australian-born director of both advertisements David Denneen is pleased to be able to back home shooting in Australia, having also been a driving force in bringing Volkswagen of America to his home country.

"I am very happy to be able to bring the shoot to here," he says. "Not just because of the money it will bring into Australia, but also it is a fine opportunity to demonstrate to one of America’s leading advertising agencies just what our industry can do. I am sure that these Volkswagen advertisements will bring more film production to Australia."

David Denneen is one of many Australian creative artists who left the country six years ago when the Australian advertising industry was deregulated, sending much advertising production abroad. Now he spends six months a year producing advertisements in North America and Europe for companies such as Nike, Miller and Budweiser. This is his first shoot for Volkswagen and he is clearly enjoying being back in Australia.

"I love working in the outback," he says, "and apart from the rain in Bowral, the shoot has gone very well."

"It’s a Volkswagen, Jim, but not as we know it…."

At first glance the American Volkswagens look just like those sold in Australia, but closer inspection reveals many differences compared to the six Australian Golf GLs roped in as additional cars for the shoot. Aside from the fact that the American Volkswagens are left hand drive, the biggest difference is their place of birth: The American Volkswagens really are American, they were built in Volkswagen’s Mexican factory, while the Australian cars hail from Volkswagen’s home town, Wolfsburg in Germany.

"Revenge of the Jetta?"

While the cars share the same build quality, there are some notable changes. The Vento is a Jetta in America, surprisingly, the US cars are nowhere near as well equipped as their Australian cousins, except in one key area. The US cars have a plethora of cup holders, including one in the rear large enough to hold the legendary and, in the American car design arena, standard setting 32 fluid ounce Super Slurpy cup.

Other changes are legal requirements: Our side indicators flash, their’s just reflect; they have day light running headlights, ours offer long range drive beams; our manual gearbox cars trust that drivers know what a stick shift and a clutch is, theirs have a label explaining how to change gear manually!

"They’re alive…."

It’s a TV ad familiar to any dog owner. The breeder is leaning on a gate espousing the virtues of his breed: strong, reliable, good looking, except there is a lack of pampered canines gambolling around in the background. The field is full of Golfs and Ventos playing together; running around in circles, jumping over fences and generally having a good time.

Cut to the farmyard. The happy ‘animals’ are being fed and having their coats cleaned and brushed. One is kicking at the heels of the farmer, who asks "don’t you just want to pick one, give it a hug and take it home?" Just another happy day in Volkswagen advertising land.

"The truth is out there …. in Narrabri"

It’s pitch dark. The only light is from a spectacular starscape. The horizon is only visible from the point of view that it is where the stars stop. The road has been dead straight for 30 kms, but here is the first bend. Just around is nothing short of a stunning sight. More than 3000 kWs of light, pure natural daylight, is beaming upwards into the sky.

And if you look closely you can see four small figures with large grey heads, huge dark eyes and four long fingers climbing into a Volkswagen Jetta.

It is really no wonder that every driver on the early morning run - its 5.00 am - from Narrabri to Walgett has hit the brakes on being confronted by this extraordinary sight.

But this isn’t a close encounter of the third kind. It’s 49 people coordinated by the Sydney-based production company, Film Graphics Productions working on the second Volkswagen advertisement, "Lost in America", and preparing to shoot the climax of the advertisement.

The day before, bemused visitors to Burren Junction would have wondered why there was now a saloon offering table top dancing, the speed limit was, apparently, 55 mph and the US Mail had started a service from this desert outpost. Welcome to Eaglerock, Nevada and an alien family lost in a Volkswagen Vento. They’ve cruised up and down the streets, turned this way and that looking for America. And then a very typical argument starts.

"Why don’t you just ask where we are?," says the front seat passenger. To which, as the kids in the back bop to ‘Funky Town’, the exasperated driver replies, "How many times do I have to tell you, we are not lost!"

At which point the driver drops down a gear and the Volkswagen Vento jumps into hyperspace amid a blaze of distended polychromatic star light….

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