Sideways star plays Micro Bus in VW’s new ad campaign

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Volkswagen launches five new 30-second television spots this week -- its continuation of the ‘Das Autos’ campaign that features Max, the 1964 black Beetle with the German accent, commenting on an array of new Volkswagen models.

The new campaign, developed with VW ad agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky, features a new character, a 1963 red Micro Bus unimaginatively named ‘BUS,’ that will be played by Thomas Haden Church. Church, who began in radio, was nominated for an Academy Award for the 2004 film ‘Sideways.’ He grabbed the chance to be the voice of the Micro Bus, ‘I was excited by the chance to work with an iconic brand like Volkswagen and to develop my character to help make the campaign fun and irreverent.’

For the first time in VW’s history, the campaign will make direct competitive slams at other brands. Another first is VW’s foray into social networking giant, Facebook, where viewers will be directed to visit and interact beginning May 18.

-- Joni Gray

For the record: This article had the spelling of Thomas Haden Church as ‘Hayden’ and has since been corrected.