Volkswagen teams up with TGE to host virtual meet-ups

Volkswagen has teamed up with influencer TGE to organise a series of online meet-ups in the video game Forza Horizon 4.

Over the course of the first three meet-ups almost 5,000 virtual Volkswagen cars were given away in-game to participants as over 33,000 people watched via livestream.

While people have been in lockdown and unable to drive their Volkswagens for pleasure, the Volkswagen U.K. Marketing team came up with the idea of enabling Volkswagen fans to meet in the virtual world.

As part of a series of 'Volkswagen Virtual Treffens' (Translating from German as 'Meetings') gamers could go for a drive online and show their cars to each other. The popular racing simulator Forza Horizon 4 was used as it offers over 16 Volkswagen models from past and present while the game environment is a re-creation of parts of the U.K.

The London-based automotive and lifestyle influencer TGE (real name Tom Exton) was chosen to host the meet-ups. TGE is a Volkswagen fan himself and has owned a Golf GTI Mk 7. His own social media following is made up of many Volkswagen followers. The first meet-up took place on 17 May 2020 and fans joining in were gifted an exclusive in-game ID.R - Volkswagen's record-breaking electric race car - with over 2,000 given away.

There have been subsequent meets on 24 May and 31 May 2020, where Karman Ghias and Rallycross Beetles were given to those participating.

In total just under 5,000 cars were given away in the game and over 33,000 viewed the livestream where they could listen to the commentary as TGE answered players' questions.

Multiple groups of 12 attended each event in the virtual environment, where they were able to race through the virtual U.K. scenery before meeting and parking up at a beauty spot. Once there, a photographer used the in-game photo mode to capture images of the various Volkswagen meets.

In the game all the vehicles are photo-realistic and fully customisable, providing an eclectic mix of Volkswagens at each meet-up. The final meet-up in this series took place on 7 June 2020 on Forza Horizon 4 with TGE.