An airship with a huge electronic video screen hovered above the Huangpu River in Shanghai on the last day of October to promote the new LAVIDA Langyi car manufactured by Shanghai Volkswagen (SVW).

The first automotive brand to promote itself on an airship in the Chinese mainland, the LAVIDA Langyi was shown over China's biggest city on one of only three lightships in the world, which will tour major mainland cities over the next three months and be seen by millions of people.

SAIC-Volkswagen Sales Co Ltd Vice-President & Executive Director of Volkswagen Brand Frank Brustmann said the airship is a unique form of media.

"This is the first time in China that an automobile company is using a flying lightship to advertise its car," Brustmann said.

It carries a giant LED screen into the sky to vividly display corporate culture and brand concepts. With its movement and novelty, the airship attracts close attention, displaying the LAVIDA brand values of "modern, quality and optimistic, he said.

The Langyi targets a mainstream consumer group who are enterprising and optimistic, are willing to accept new things and emphasize the quality of life, the auto executive said.

"We hope to bring a different experience to customers by this form of outdoor advertising with great visual impact so that they can feel the Langyi's charm," said Brustmann.

He noted it is a new model originally developed and designed by SVW for Chinese customers.

"We are more than sure that our product really meets the needs of the Chinese customers because we have realized the perfect combination of Chinese design and German craftsmanship and quality," he said, adding that the Langyi is one of the safest cars in its class, but it is not only designed for the well-to-do.

"We want to satisfy every customer who attaches importance to quality and design, has a good taste, and wants to integrate his understanding of life with the lifestyle he has been longing for," said Brustmann.

The airship not only energetically displays the charm of the car in three dimensions, but also finds its target audience as an effective carrier of communication. Its modern and fashionable image draws attention of consumers and conveys the lifestyle implied by the company's "LAVIDA Heat" concept.

According to Brustmann, after the airship tours Shanghai in November, SVW will hold a series of activities at Guangzhou Auto Show, and also in major cities such as Shenzhen, Fuzhou, Hangzhou and Nanjing. Participants can photograph the airship on the scene to receive prizes at designated 4S stores.

The tour will last until the end of January 2009.