Member Article

Hatfield Volkswagen Van Centre’s face of success

A Hertfordshire motor dealership is celebrating after one of its loyal customers was selected to be the face of a national advertising campaign and is fast becoming something of a media sensation!

Hatfield Volkswagen Van Centre team were thrilled that carpet fitter Andy Brodie and his transporter van were chosen to feature on billboards across the country, after they nominated him for the honour.

Andy could soon be the most recognised person in Britain when his image appears on the biggest billboard in the country. The 42-year-old from Watford, Hertfordshire will also appear on an additional 750 billboard sites around the country as well as radio and magazine adverts making it almost impossible to avoid him.

Paul Mills, Hatfield Volkswagen Van Centre’s head of business, said: “We are so proud that one of our customers has been selected for this campaign. We really do work closely with local businesses to make sure they have the right vehicle to meet their needs and Andy’s company, A.B. Flooring, is no exception.

“His Transporter van is ideally suited to his business – specialising in laminate, hardwood, safety floor, carpets and Amtico – because it offers the right combination of load space, driver comfort, reliability and fuel efficiency.“

Andy was picked from thousands of customers to be one of just four faces of a new ad campaign for the Volkswagen Transporter.

An image of him with his Volkswagen Transporter van bearing the name of his firm, A.B. Flooring, was unveiled on the 27m x 18m ‘Mega Banner’ on the M4, Britain’s largest billboard site.

The campaign is to highlight how the van company is working in partnership with its customers.

Andy and three other small businesses will star in the Volkswagen campaign with the slogan “We never forget the most important name on our vans. Yours” and will share the equivalent of £2.5million worth of free advertising as a result.

The other businesses involved are a heating specialist, a locksmith and a telecommunications specialist.

Father-of-two Andy, set up his business in 1988 and has worked on flooring jobs ranging from hotels to cruise ships. He’s even worked for the odd celebrity and seen his work featured in OK! Magazine.

He always works with an apprentice and has trained 20 people, many of whom have all gone on to set up their own businesses.

Andy, who thinks having a smart-looking van is vital for how people perceive his business, said: “When I first heard from the ad agency I took it with a pinch of salt. Then they told me I would be famous for the whole of the summer.

“It only hit home when at the photo shoot. It took so long to do it, I realised it was serious.

“I can’t wait to see the finished advert. And neither can my wife – she’s told the whole family!“

A spokesman for the Volkswagen Transporter said: “These ambitious businesses are so vital to the country’s economy, so entrepreneurs like Andy are already stars in many ways.

“We know it’s tough out there for many businesses and we are committed to working with our customers to support them through the range of services we offer.

“We thought there was no better way to show this than to let them benefit from a £2.5m ad campaign.“

Hatfield Volkswagen Van Centre, based on Great North Road, can offer advice on the best commercial vehicle to suit any business. Contact the centre on 01707 240623.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Caroline Garbett .