The Best Work You May Never See: Volkswagen, AlmapBBDO Reunite Mother and Daughter In Duet Via AI

This Volkswagen campaign from AlmapBBDO in São Paulo, Brazil, used artificial intelligence to reunite Elis Regina, one of the greatest Brazilian singers of all time, with her daughter Maria Rita, a modern-day icon with eight Grammys to her name, four decades after Regina’s untimely death.

The reunion meant that Rita, who lost her mother when she was just four years old, was able to sing a moving duet alongside her mother with the help of technology, including AI, in this campaign centerpiece film titled “Generations.” In the two-minute film directed by Dulcidio Caldeira via Boiler Filmes, Rita is at the wheel of the 100% electric version of the Kombi (VW van), when another vehicle pulls alongside her on the same highway: it’s Regina, driving the classic vintage VW model from yesteryear.

The film relied on artificial intelligence trained specifically on recognition of Regina’s face, unlike AI projects that use pre-trained technology using generic databases. The agency and the production company then teamed up with Flow Effects, a postproduction company with expertise in special effects. For days, the AI was trained on a battery of different technologies, combining scenes of the stunt double with footage and stills of the singer to arrive at a groundbreaking and breathtaking result.

Volkswagen’s 70th anniversary campaign in Brazil also connects to the brand’s announcement that the icon is on its way home: the Kombi is back! Ten years after the brand ceased production of the model that won Brazilians’ hearts, it’s coming back in an electric version, the ID. Buzz, which will be released in Brazil as a limited run of 70 units, as a nod to the brand’s 70th anniversary. The product’s triumphant return serves as a sign of the consolidation of Volkswagen’s global electrification strategy in Brazil.

“This film represents so much for everyone involved. It’s about Volkswagen’s story with Brazil, it’s the story of Elis Regina and Maria Rita, which was cut off far too soon, and, for us at AlmapBBDO, it’s about a story that spans over 60 years, which is the time we’ve been working with the brand here in Brazil. The campaign puts sophisticated technology in the service of an extremely human goal: to touch people’s hearts. We’ve taken a groundbreaking duet out of the realm of imagination and made it absolutely real, for the two minutes the film lasts,” said Marco “Pernil” Giannelli, AlmapBBDO’s chief creative officer.