(July 24, 2017) HERNDON, Va. —  Volkswagen of America, now in its sixth year as a sponsor of Discovery Channel’s SHARK WEEK, teamed with the network to introduce Land of Sharks, a unique look at oceans of the past with a cross country journey in the all-new 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. This year, Volkswagen will build on excitement around SHARK WEEK to showcase how the new 7-seater SUV brings families together for life’s big adventures.

Television’s longest running and highly anticipated event, SHARK WEEK returned on Sunday, July 23, on Discovery Channel.

“Volkswagen is excited to continue our sponsorship of Discovery Channel’s SHARK WEEK for the sixth year,” said Jennifer Clayton, Director of Brand and Marketing Communications, Volkswagen of America.  “This year’s cross-country journey to explore oceans of the past provides an ideal platform to show the versatility and spaciousness of the all-new 2018 Volkswagen Atlas.”           

The Land of Sharks campaign, developed by Volkswagen’s agency of record Deutsch and produced by Discovery Channel, includes a short video series to tell the story of a family on a road trip in a Volkswagen Atlas as they travel to various locations to learn about prehistoric sharks that once swam there. These three 60-second vignettes will display the family visiting an archeological site, traveling to a research lab and finally driving in an Atlas to dive with modern sharks.

To supplement the TV elements, Volkswagen and Discovery Channel have also created a unique online experience that allows SHARK WEEK families at home to explore the depths of their neighborhood alongside ancient sharks through an immersive “underwater” Google street view experience. Available through Sunday, July 30, fans will be able to access the experience through the Land of Sharks website, www.LandofSharks.com.

“Discovery Channel is proud to be working with Volkswagen for six consecutive years on SHARK WEEK, TV’s must-see summer event,” said Mark Lewis, VP Ad Sales Marketing, Discovery Communications.

“Discovery Channel and Volkswagen are both advocates of innovation and exploration, and the all-new Atlas was a perfect fit for this year’s programming as we ventured across the deserts of the United States to explore the ancient oceans and its sharks.”