Volkswagen and Kong Collab on Dog Toy

Campaign promotes a retro-style electric VW bus

Kong dog toys have an origin story that dates back to the 1970s and involves a German Shepherd and a VW Type 2 Bus.

Kong founder Joe Markham’s shepherd, Fritz, nabbed a spare rubber axle stop from such a vehicle and, chew as he might, the good doggo could not destroy it.

Timed with the launch of the retro-looking electric VW ID. Buzz, the automotive manufacturer and Johannes Leonardo teamed up with Kong to create a dog toy in cabana blue to match the color of the vehicle.

Available at drivergear.vw.com, the toys cost $13.99 with net proceeds donated to VCA Charities, which helps dogs in need via a nationwide network of animal shelters.

The campaign will live across social and digital, including this :30 about the story of Kong:

“Last year, for VW’s 75th anniversary, we began celebrating stories of past VW drivers and owners. As we explored all the ways this brand has impacted people’s lives, we came across the origin story of Kong and it made all of us smile,” says Zoe Kessler, ECD at Johannes Leonardo.

“So, we reached out to Joe Markham, the inventor of Kong and Kong toys to see if they’d like to help us tell the story,” she says. “They, of course, were jazzed. And thus began the collab. We worked with VCA because Kong had an existing partnership with them and it was important to us to have a real gesture that helped shelter dogs in addition to a monetary donation.”