Seal & Heidi Klum as VW Brand Ambassadors
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007At the Automobilforum event in Berlin, Volkswagen launched celebrity couple Seal and Heidi Klum as the brand’s new Ambassadors.
When interviewed on what exactly about the star couple that made them Volkswagen material, VW Head of Group Communication Stephan Grühsem, has this to say: “Klum and Seal are a modern patchwork family. They are natural and unpretentious personalities, tolerant and globally orientated – and thus represent values which can be attributed to Volkswagen, too.”
As it turns out, both Seal and Heidi Klum have long-standing ties with the Volkswagen Group. Seal’s association with the brand started as early as the year 2005, specifically during the launching of the new Volkswagen Passat in Hamburg. It was later on followed by several other appearances in other Volkswagen events, such as in the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, the Audi R8 presentation in Las Vegas, and a certain photoshoot for the Vw Audi A5.
“Our relationship with Seal has turned into a real friendship,” Grühsem further revealed. “Seal truly has petrol in his blood. He is extremely savvy when it comes to knowing the ins and out of our automobiles.”
But it is actually Heidi Klum who has a longer relationship with the Volkswagen brand, dating way back when she was just a little girl. Heidi reminisces as to how her childhood years consist of traveling with her dad around town in a Volkswagen Bus. “Some years later, we went on holiday in a Beetle convertible. We still have it today. It has a really unique colour: amber gold.” Indeed, the Volkswagen cars have hardly left her grasp, as even now, the model-turned-entrepreneur confessed that she owns a convertible and hardtop version of the New Beetle.
Jochen Sengpiehl, Volkswagen Head of Marketing, further emphasizes the compatibility and marketability of Klum. “An analysis revealed that Heidi Klum and our brand are an ideal fit. She is authentic, radiates a zest for life and Volkswagen buyers are able to identify with her. Heidi Klum is probably the most famous German personality in the US, with twelve appearances on the Jay Leno Show and her own successful television show, which has won her three Emmy nominations. She has positive credentials all round and has the reputation of being the typical German ‘Fräuleinwunder’. This is the reason why Volkswagen wants to intensify their work with them in the US.”
The collaboration, slated to last for three years, will commence with the campaign for the VW Tiguan. This would equate to the couple being featured in TV Commercials, print ads, an interesting ‘making-ofs’ segment shown in the VW website, and a video broadcast to the Andalusia dealership conference.
Sengpiehl asserts that the couple would certainly add a more interesting approach on the Tiguan. “With the Volkswagen Tiguan we want to take new innovative directions – not only with regard to the car itself, but also with respect to how we present it.”
Seal himself is quite thrilled to be part of this new project. “I told the VW guys that they should leave the Tiguan with us in Los Angeles. It is a great car: nimble, fast and full of technical refinements. My garage is full of products from Volkswagen. If it was possible I would testdrive every new car from them that is coming out.”

