When you consider standard car ads, you can pretty much imagine the scenario – beautiful young couple driving over curvy scenic roads or attracting envious stares from suburban neighbors as the car pulls into the driveway. So it is refreshing to see how Volkswagen Phaeton has elevated its ads to fine art in order to convey the handmade quality of the luxury sedan. In India, DDB Mudra Group in Mumbai suggested the artisan’s pride of craftsmanship and attention to intricate details through the use of a traditional Indian art form. The way the Phaeton is integrated into the art is both surprising and memorable. More importantly, this isn’t a “foreign” ad jarringly adapted to an Indian audience. It speaks directly to India’s rich aesthetic heritage.

The Volkswagen Phaeton shadow puppet video, produced by Grabarz & Partner Werbeagentur in Hamburg, Germany, is diametrically different from the Indian paintings, yet it too is steeped in rich tradition. The shadow show draws on ancient artistry and graceful choreography. All of this goes to prove that there is more than one way to tell the same story. It’s the same product, same underlying message, both exquisitely evocative and unique.