Actually it was an early April Fools Day prank. Earlier this week, Volkswagen Group of America, said it unveiled the official change of its U.S. brand name from Volkswagen of America to Voltswagen of America. VW had said the new branding will roll out across all of the company’s advertising, website and social media channels. Now it’s taken down the press release from its online newsroom.
Scott Keogh, president and CEO of Voltswagen of America, says: “We might be changing out our K for a T, but what we aren’t changing is this brand’s commitment to making best-in-class vehicles for drivers and people everywhere. The idea of a ‘people’s car’ is the very fabric of our being. We have said, from the beginning of our shift to an electric future, that we will build EVs for the millions, not just millionaires. This name change signifies a nod to our past as the peoples’ car and our firm belief that our future is in being the peoples’ electric car.”
“As our newly launched ID.4 campaign demonstrates, the humanity at the core of this brand remains its enduring legacy,” adds Kimberley Gardiner, senior vice president, Voltswagen of America brand marketing. “The tone of Voltswagen will be a consistent thread between the branded communications for our growing electric fleet to our gas vehicles. Over the course of the next few months, you will see the brand transition at all consumer touch points. This is an exciting moment for us, and we have been working through every avenue to make the transition clear, consistent, seamless and fun for all.”
Founded in 1955, Voltswagen of America, formerly Volkswagen of America, Inc., is an operating unit of Volkswagen Group of America and a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, with headquarters in Herndon, Virginia. Voltswagen’s operations in the U.S. include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Keyword: Voltswagen – Official Change of VW Group’s U.S. Brand Name – is a Prank!