Volkswagen Revives ‘Drivers wanted’ with Big Game Spot Set to House of Pain Classic

​Volkswagen is bringing back its late-‘90s ‘Drivers wanted’ platform with a Super Bowl spot after sitting out last year.

‘Drivers wanted’ has long been associated with Volkswagen’s human-centric approach to design and culture. The latest iteration of the iconic campaign, created by Johannes Leonardo and directed by Leigh Powis via ProdCo, reframes that idea as an open invitation to say yes to curiosity, individuality and opportunity, positioning driving as an expression of optimism rather than simply a means of transport.

“We’re at a cultural inflection point that feels a lot like the mid-’90s and early 2000s,” says Zoe Kessler, executive creative director at Johannes Leonardo, speaking with LBB. “In 2026, so much of life is passive, heads down, following someone who’s following someone else.”

Volkswagen, adds Zoe, has always stood for people who see the world differently. “Right now, we need those cultural drivers more than ever – those people who participate, take chances, and get involved. Bringing back ‘Drivers wanted’ was our way of re-issuing that invitation: don’t just go along for the ride, drive.”


Set to House of Pain’s iconic ‘Jump Around’, the film draws on the irreverent energy of the original campaign while updating it for a contemporary audience. From the start of the creative process, Zoe and the team asked themselves how every choice they made could invite participation.

“If ‘Drivers wanted’ is the ultimate call to jump in, then every element had to reinforce that idea,” says Zoe. “We built the film around the notion that invitations are everywhere if you’re paying attention.

“The music isn’t just nostalgic (though it absolutely taps into that energy); it’s an invitation in itself. The track doesn’t sit in the background – it pulls you in. It isn’t just a track that brings us all back to house parties in the early 90's, it’s also an invitation to say yes.”

That open invitation to say yes was inspired by an “incredible strategy team” who Zoe says set the creative team up for success. “We know there’s a sea of sameness happening in the world right now,” she adds. “We’re all consuming the same content, following the same people, reacting to the same headlines.”

The opportunity for client and agency teams wasn’t to add to the noise, but to provoke more unconventional thinking.” If invitations to participate are all around us, and we help people notice them, what’s actually stopping us all from saying yes?”

Shot on location in Houston, Texas, the spot unfolds through a series of small, human moments – from friends dancing in the rain to a dust-covered Golf GTI bearing a handwritten ‘call me’ and phone number. The production process was “intense in the best possible way”, according to Zoe.

“The clients put enormous trust in us to reintroduce the brand through this new lens, and our production partners fully understood what was at stake,” she says. “‘Drivers wanted’ isn’t just a famous automotive campaign, it’s one of the most influential ideas in advertising, period.”

Everyone involved knew they had to do the original justice and went into production with momentum, a lot of adrenaline, and a shared responsibility to honour the legacy.

Leigh Powis also harboured a lot of that responsibility in his role as director. “Leigh is one of the most thoughtful and meticulous directors I’ve worked with,” says Zoe. “Every detail mattered, from casting real people he personally selected, to something as specific as nail polish colour.

“He was deeply committed to the vision, unafraid to push when it mattered, and relentless about getting it right. That combination of care, conviction, and creative rigor made him the perfect partner for us. He didn’t just direct the film, he protected it. We’ll all be hard at work coming up with what we can send him next.”

The new campaign launches with a 90-second film debuting online today, while a 30-second cut-down is set to air during the second half of Super Bowl LX on NBC and Telemundo. The work follows Volkswagen’s 2024 game-day spot, An American Love Story, which marked the brand’s 75th anniversary in the US.

Beyond its Big Game appearance, ‘Drivers wanted’ will roll out across multiple touchpoints throughout February. These include a presenting sponsorship of Emma Chamberlain’s Anything Goes podcast, premium out-of-home placements in New York’s Times Square, and a broader social and digital push across owned and paid channels.

Volkswagen will also extend the campaign directly to existing customers through the myVW app and targeted email communications, offering a limited-time 25% discount on Driver Gear merchandise through to February 9th.

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