So, the company teamed up with advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather to give the Rabbit a new lease on life by re-branding it as the Citi Golf and selling it as the Golf II’s more affordable alternative. Ogilvy & Mather helped reposition the Golf I as the car for the young and fashionable – or, as Jacques Burger, the Volkswagen Account Director for Ogilvy points out, "We presented the car as fun, energetic and exuberant." It hopped into the spotlight with the slogan "Get the Freedom of the Citi," with a marketing campaign aimed primarily at first time buyers between 18-24 years old. The Citi Golf was promoted as a colorful, fun-loving classic that "just keeps on going."

South Africans loved it. By 1988, four years after the Rabbit had been declared extinct in North America and Europe, its identical twin the Citi Golf was being hailed in South Africa as "the most desired student vehicle" and sales had tripled original targets. A Citi Model was released and the original engine was expanded to give speed freaks a reason to stick with the Citi Golf.

The car has gone from strength to strength in South Africa. By 1992 it had become clear that the product’s demographics reached far beyond the entry car market and embraced consumers spanning the 18-43 age range. Therefore, the "Freedom of the Citi" motto was dropped in favor of "Citi Golf: A Constant in a World of Change. Made For Life." New colors were introduced and limited ranges were put out to coincide with regular sales blitzes on the South African market. By the end of 1995, one out of every ten cars bought in South Africa was a Citi Golf. The company also made sure to keep the product fresh and hip with young consumers: the popular cartoon character Garfield became the Citi Golf’s mascot in the year 2000. That same year the Citi.com version was introduced with a web campaign that permitted buyers to literally design, finance and buy their brand new Citi Golf on the VW South Africa web site (www.vw.co.za) for around US$7000. Burger is philosophical when talking about the Citi Golf’s success: "The car has a Coca-Cola-like quality to it. It’s always been around, [and therefore] it has a kind of authenticity."

Ron Irwin is a brand consultant and writer based in Cape Town, South Africa. He has lectured extensively on brand management at the University of Cape Town School of Management Studies and to local companies. Find him on the web at ronaldirwin.co.za.