Volkswagen’s Buckle Up Bear Teaches Children About Safety
Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) has launched an animated series on YouTube to target the younger generation. The Buckle Up animated series is part of VW’s social responsibility initiative in Malaysia. It can be found on the Volkswagen Malaysia channel in YouTube and is meant to educate children about the importance of road and car safety in an entertaining way.
The Buckle Up series brings online the beloved Volkswagen bear mascot who is a familiar face at roadshows and events. Specifically targeting children between the ages of three to seven years old, the video content is communicated in a fun and entertaining way. Episodes cover topics such as how to cross the road, understanding traffic lights and the importance of wearing a seat belt.
The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research reported that road accidents are the fourth most common cause of death in Malaysia. Between 2007 and 2017, more than 1,500 children under the age of 10 has died in road accidents. Last year, Malaysia had the third highest fatality from road accidents in Asia, behind Thailand and Vietnam.
“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.
Volkswagen first launched the Buckle Up Campaign in 2015 and partnered with the Association of Registered Child Care Providers Malaysia (PPBM) to educate the general public on the importance of child passenger safety. This initiative was done through training modules at 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.
Parents are encouraged to subscribe to the Volkswagen Malaysia YouTube channel and click the Bell icon next to the Subscribe button to receive the latest updates and notifications when new episodes are added.
