Currywurst and Real Buttons: Inside VW's Marketing Comeback Under Christine Wolburg
VW's Chief Brand Officer Christine Wolburg says the brand's comeback means 'being a Volkswagen again' — swapping a tech-spec narrative for creator marketing, everyday moments and human touches like currywurst and real, physical buttons.
'Volkswagen Wants to Be a Volkswagen Again'
In a 10 September 2026 interview, VW brand chief Christine Wolburg framed the carmaker's marketing comeback as a 'radical change in perspective' — away from a pure-technology story and back to what customers actually want.
The shorthand she uses is telling: 'currywurst and real buttons' — authentic, tangible, human cues over spec-sheet abstraction.
The strategy, showcased at Berlin's IFA, is about warmth and accessibility, not horsepower and touchscreens.
Creator Marketing Over Spec Sheets
Wolburg wants to explain technology through creator partnerships and relatable daily moments rather than technical detail.
It's a recognition that people buy cars emotionally and socially — and that creators, not brochures, are how mainstream audiences now discover and judge brands.
Marketing Minute's read: after years of EV-era messaging that leaned on tech, VW is rebalancing toward the everyday humanity that made it a 'people's car' in the first place.
Why 'Real Buttons' Is a Marketing Statement
The 'real buttons' line is a subtle jab at the industry's touchscreen overreach — and a promise that VW will listen to what drivers actually want.
It signals product and marketing moving in step: the brand story and the physical experience are being re-aligned.
For a mass brand, that coherence — say it, then deliver it — is worth more than any single campaign.
What Businesses Should Take Away
When a category over-rotates on features, the winning move can be a return to human, everyday relevance.
Use creators to translate complexity into culture — they're the bridge between spec and feeling.
Make sure the product backs the promise: 'real buttons' only works if the cars actually have them.
Quick FAQ
What is VW's marketing comeback about?
A 'radical change in perspective' under brand chief Christine Wolburg — moving from a pure-technology narrative to creator marketing, everyday moments and human cues like currywurst and real buttons.
Who is Christine Wolburg?
VW's Chief Brand Officer, appointed in April 2025, now leading the brand's marketing repositioning.
What does 'real buttons' mean?
A signal that VW will favour tangible, human touches over touchscreen overreach — aligning its marketing promise with the product experience.
'Currywurst and real buttons' might sound like a joke, but it's one of the sharpest brand statements I've heard from a carmaker this year. After a decade of spec-sheet marketing, VW is betting that the road back to a 'people's car' runs through everyday humanity, not another touchscreen. The catch: the product has to keep the promise. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
When a category over-rotates on features, the comeback can be a return to human, everyday relevance — but only if the product delivers what the marketing promises.
Has car marketing lost the human touch? Tell us whether 'currywurst and real buttons' is the right reset.
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Horizont, Campaign Germany, Volkswagen.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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