• by Karl Greenberg , August 18, 2010

Volkswagen of America is touting its Routan minivan via a partnership with Discovery's TLC.com around family and travel. The automaker will be the premier sponsor of family travel content on TLC.com and feature an original Webisode series titled "The Great Getaway," plus family-related travel information on Discovery-owned Web site HowStuffWorks.com.  

"The Great Getaway," which launched on Wednesday, follows the seven-member Woods family on a road trip through Sedona, AZ. The reality-style Webisode series will run throughout the next three months .The series is a joint project of TLC.com, Volkswagen and VW's AOR for media, Deutsch.

The Routan minivan gets a starring role in the series, with the vehicle's features, such as seating and storage capacity, getting special attention.

Volkswagen will bookend the series with 30-second Routan TV spots before the segment, a drive to VW.com after, and a banner next to the video window. The Family Travel section on the TLC Family vertical will be VW-branded, as well.

Harold Morgenstern, senior vice president, advertising sales, Discovery Communications says VW is advertising on all Discovery's digital properties, including contextual and behavioral targeting.

VW launched the Routan in 2008 under the Das Auto banner with Brooke Shields as spokesperson. The campaign has continued with "Dub Punch" ads suggesting the minivan has a soul of a VW bug.

Morgenstern says Discovery has a long-standing relationship with Volkswagen. "We proposed and created the Webisode series specifically to and for the Routan."