Volkswagen is bringing back The Californians sketch ahead of SNL’s 50th Anniversary.
The car brand, which is also a presenting sponsor for SNL50, debuted a new spot Thursday bringing back members of the well-known sketch and soap opera parody, including Fred Armisen, Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig, as part of the launch for its new electric van, the ID.Buzz.
In the spot, which debuts Thursday, Hader and Wiig meet up for a romantic moment on Malibu Beach, with their strong SoCal accents intact, only to be interrupted by Armisen pulling up in a van. Amid dramatic zoom-ins on all the characters, and discussions of the various highways taken to arrive there, the characters talk through the various specs of the new van and imagine the next L.A. highway they could travel on.
Saturday Night Live writers were involved in the creative and the spot, said Rachael Zaluzec, CMO and SVP of customer experience and brand marketing at Volkswagen of America, and the original costumes from the sketch were used in filming the commercial. California and this sketch in particular were chosen because of the cultural tie-in with the Volkswagen van.
“I think we always had our eyes set on California, and so when SNL came back and suggested it. It’s just such a great pairing,” Zaluzec said.
“The idea for ‘The Californians’ sketch was inspired by a bit we used to do at SNL, where we’d explain how we got to places in L.A. Now, more than a decade later, it was great to have everyone back together again and I feel honored that these characters continue to celebrate our love for California, especially after everything this community has been through,” Hader said.
“Never laughed so hard. Being with Fred and Bill it was hard to get through a take. Also having the SNL crew there just created such a loving atmosphere. I love these characters and seeing them reunite for Volkswagen,” Wiig said.
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