The Volkswagen mascot for safety, Buckle Up Bear, has a series for children on YouTube. Recently launched by Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM), the Buckle Up YouTube animation series is one of the brand’s social responsibility initiatives in Malaysia. The entertaining series aims to educate children on the importance of road and car safety.
The Buckle Up series brings online the much-loved VW mascot, who is a familiar face and adored by children at roadshows and events. Specifically targeting children aged between three to seven years old, the content is communicated in a fun and entertaining way and covers topics such as how to cross the road, understanding traffic lights and the importance of wearing a seatbelt.
Social Accountability
“As a responsible brand, we are socially accountable to our stakeholders and the public – at the same time not forgetting the little ones. It is never too early for us to teach children how to keep safe, and we believe that in the long run, this will help them develop the right attitude and behaviour on the road. Of course, with children being more internet-savvy, the perfect avenue to communicate this is online” said Erik Winter, Managing Director of VPCM.
The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research reported that road accidents are the fourth common cause of death in Malaysia, and more than 1,500 children under the age of 10 has died in road accidents from 2007 to 2017. Last year, Malaysia had the third highest fatality from road accidents in Asia, behind Thailand and Vietnam.
Volkswagen first launched the Buckle Up Campaign in 2015 and partnered with the Association of Registered Child Care Providers Malaysia or PPBM to educate the general public on the importance of child passenger safety through training modules across 280 childcare centres nationwide. Since then, Volkswagen has constantly communicated child safety through training modules to dealers at the Volkswagen Academy, to customers and owners via dealership events and on social media platforms.
The Volkswagen Buckle Up campaign series is available on Volkswagen’s YouTube channel. Parents are encouraged to subscribe to receive the latest updates and notifications when new episodes are added.