(February 1, 2012) HERNDON, Va. — Volkswagen revealed its new commercial today giving viewers a sneak peek of a special, extended 75-second spot online, with the 60-second version of the ad running in the second quarter of the Super Bowl. This is the third consecutive year that Volkswagen has advertised on game day.

"This is a perfect opportunity for Volkswagen to celebrate with the fans that have made 2011 such a record-setting year for the company," said Tim Mahoney, chief product and marketing officer. "This year's commercial will build on Volkswagen's ability to tell human stories simply while continuing to build on the brand's momentum in the year ahead."

Volkswagen's 2012 Game Day commercial, "The Dog Strikes Back," features a story of an adorable dog named Bolt who is inspired to whip himself into shape by the power and performance of the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle. The unexpected final moments are a sly wink toward the Star Wars theme of Volkswagen's 2011 Game Day commercial "The Force," which became a pop culture phenomenon and has nearly 50 million views on YouTube to date. 

The theme of the commercial is "Back. And better than ever," which illustrates the success and momentum that the Volkswagen brand is enjoying in the U.S.



Volkswagen's 2012 Game Day campaign kicked off with a teaser distributed in mid-January, entitled "The Bark Side," featuring a choir of dogs barking along to Star Wars' "Imperial March." The teaser quickly became an internet sensation, garnering over 10 million views to date on YouTube. The "Imperial March" is the same John Williams' composition used last year in "The Force."

Following the success of last year's advertisement, Volkswagen and Deutsch LA teamed up with Lucasfilm again to end the latest spot with a surprise twist. The final 15 seconds take place in the iconic Cantina introduced in Star Wars Episode IV, complete with a special appearance by none other than Darth Vader.