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Volkswagen is attempting to appeal to those in their 20s and 30s

with the launch of a redesigned Polo, backed by a £4.5m ad

campaign.

The car-maker, which recently promoted its Lupo model with an edgy ad

campaign aimed at people in their 20s, now hopes to boost the appeal of

its Polo and Beetle models to younger consumers.

The average age of Lupo buyers is 44 at present, and 49 for Polo. While

Beetles attract consumers in their late 30s, Volkswagen hopes to net

even younger buyers with a cheaper 1.4L model launching in the

spring.

According to Catherine Woolfe, communications manager for Volkswagen

small cars, Lupo and Beetle will be targeted at those in their 20s,

while the target market for Polo includes people in their early 30s.

The relaunched Polo will be supported with a TV advertising campaign by

BMP DDB. The ad features the strapline, 'The tough new Polo. Careful it

doesn't go to your head,' and shows 20-somethings attempting outlandish

feats, inspired by their Polos.

Polo currently ranks eighth among small hatchbacks in the UK, trailing

the likes of Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and Renault Clio with sales of

40,000. VW hopes that tapping into the lucrative younger market will

push sales to 44,000 this year.

Volkswagen recently divided its marques into two categories as a

cost-saving measure. Volkswagen was grouped with Bentley, Bugatti and

Skoda, while sportier brands Lamborghini, Seat and Audi form the second

category.