• by Erin Everhart , Staff Writer, February 20, 2026

Marketing is in its throwback era. Reboots. Revivals. Resurgences. Brands are digging through their high school yearbooks, reliving the glory days of superlatives, a booming economy and when everything just felt a little simpler.

Are we honoring legacy or are we just running out of new ideas? And it’s a fine line between the two.

Volkswagen is one of those brands doing the former. For some, it’s never just been a car brand. It’s been a feeling. A vibe. A cultural marker. And they brought back those vibes during last week’s Super Bowl.

We all know the Super Bowl isn’t what it used to be for advertising. Ads drop earl. Teasers leak. The Big Day has turned into a multi-week content cycle, and still, we’re all asking the same question: Is it even worth it?

Volkswagen decided not only that it is, but that it was the right stage to bring back the tagline that helped make them a cultural marker. This isn’t a rinse-and-repeat nostalgia play. It’s a modernization. A 360 relaunch. Social-first extensions. Hidden invitations. Cultural breadcrumbs. A strategy designed not just to air a 90-second film, but to introduce a whole new generation to what the brand stands for.

What does it take to bring back an iconic tagline? When does nostalgia work, and when is it just lazy marketing? How do you keep the magic of a Super Bowl moment alive?

We sat down with CMO Rachael Zaluzec to find out. Listen to the full episode here.