Volkswagen has released a digital interactive consumer magazine as an application made specifically for the Apple iPad.

The DAS publication, which stands for Digital Automotive Space, will be published quarterly in five languages and will be accessible throughout Europe. This month?s DAS is marketing the new Volkswagen Touareg vehicle.

?Using social media, games and other mobile applications allows us to interact with our customers and fans and on the other hand it allows them to actively engage with our brand,? said Meghan Butler, new media coordinator at MWW Group, New York.

?The iPad is a new exciting device with great opportunities to create an unparalleled brand experience,? she said. ?The launch of the iPad coincided with our plans to introduce a new global digital magazine.

?We made the connection and decided to create the most innovative customer magazine possible.?

Digital interactions
When the application loads, users see a toggle view, as if they are sitting in the Touareg.

The area view shows different people interacting with each other and the vehicle. A bubble pops up with the phrase ?Curious? Change view.?

Consumers are able to change the camera for a different area view ? the front, back, left and right view.

Here is a screen grab of the view:

After playing around with the camera views, users can enter the magazine where they can watch an intro video from Stephan Grühsem, head of communications at Volkswagen group.

Here is a screen grab of the intro:

?It?s an environment where we can talk about cars and the world of Volkswagen,? Ms. Butler said. ?DAS is a magazine, but the concept is far from traditional.

?The reader is invited to discover new, surprising and exciting things about our brand,? she said.
?DAS has a very broad audience ? everybody with an interest in Volkswagen, who owns a Volkswagen, or just likes to read about cars, can enjoy this magazine.

?This is also one of the magazine?s main objectives, to invite people to get to know more about Volkswagen.?

Mobile magazine
The magazine contents include a video of the Touareg, as well as detailed descriptions of the vehicle.

Users can see how the sound is incorporated in the car and play around with the sound machine.

Here is a screen grab of the sound feature:

There is also a Think Blue feature where users can see how to save on fuel consumption in traffic jams.

Here is a screen grab of the Think Blue feature:

DAS will be available in five languages including, English, German, Italian, Spanish and Dutch and will be tailored to five specific markets such as Germany, Britain, Spain, Italy and The Netherlands.

In addition, the company is also looking at integrating content in social networks such as Facebook.

?Volkswagen has launched a corporate PR campaign on May 28 and there will be a follow-up locally in the countries that will also introduce the Internet version of DAS,? Ms. Butler said. ?It is possible to have an iPhone application of DAS, but we have not decided yet.?