- Uniquely liveried PRID.3 will debut at Milton Keynes Pride Festival on 11 September – brand’s first involvement in a UK event of this type
- Design incorporates iconic Pride colours, as well as shades from the ProgressPride flag, for greater recognition and inclusivity
- Car serves as statement to colleagues, customers and community of the depth of Volkswagen UK’s Diversity and Inclusion commitment
Milton Keynes – Volkswagen’s involvement in Milton Keynes Pride Festival will be its first engagement in a UK-based Pride, but the exciting news does not end there. That’s because the 11 September event will see another first: the debut of the PRID.3 – a one-off, custom-designed ID.3, modified for display at the Pride festival to symbolise Volkswagen UK’s Diversity and Inclusion programme.
The PRID.3 is a unique ID.3, created specifically for use at the festival, with the car’s distinctive design – inspired by the psychedelic camouflage pattern used on ID.3 prototypes – rendered in the colours of the Progress Pride flag to create a meaningful and eye-catching livery for the model. This pattern, and the car itself, define Volkswagen’s new relationship with Pride, and represent wholehearted inclusion, and a celebration of diversity.
Integral to the car’s design is the incorporation of the eleven colours of the Progress Pride flag – with the traditional red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple joined by black and brown to represent LGBTQ+ people of colour; and pink, light blue and white to include transgender people. All of these colours merge into one another in an ombré effect, to reflect the community and togetherness of all communities and identities, as well as celebrating their differences.
The wrap was created in collaboration between Volkswagen AG, Volkswagen UK and Creative FX, which rendered the wrap and applied it to the donor ID.3 – a Glacier White example – before it earned its stripes to become the PRID.3. The camouflage pattern took one-and-a-half days to design from start to finish, and three days to apply to the car at the Creative FX studio in Bromley, with three staff working on applying the wrap. The model will be on display to staff in the Volkswagen Group UK atrium from 6 September for the entire week, to encourage colleagues to attend the festival, after which it will take pride of place at the festival on Saturday 11 September.
Based on the ID.3 Life Pro Performance, the PRID.3 has a power output of 204 PS and torque of 310 Nm, and a range of up to 264 miles (WLTP, combined). The model is completely road legal, and can therefore be transported without assistance – maintaining the zero tailpipe emissions benefits of the ID.3, and drawing attention from passers-by when on the road.
Volkswagen UK chose Milton Keynes Pride Festival as the nearest Pride to the company’s headquarters, with the event benefitting the local community through providing a safe space for local LGBTQ+ people, as well as contributing to local projects ranging from educational development programmes, to youth groups, and Q:Alliance, a local LGBTQ+ charity. The festival takes place on 11 September in Campbell Park, Milton Keynes, with gates opening at midday.
The brand’s sponsorship of Milton Keynes Pride Festival covers the Community Tent and Sensory Area – two spaces where families can enjoy themselves while being a part of Pride. The Community Tent will host family-friendly acts including authors, pantomime shows and magic performers, while the Sensory Area caters to families with neurodiversity requirements, and provides a more peaceful place away from the buzz of the main entertainment, should attendees need to break away.
In addition to sponsorship of these two attractions, Volkswagen will also have a sponsor area, where visitors can find out more about the brand’s Diversity and Inclusion focus and activities. Stationed here will be Pride volunteers from Volkswagen Group, on hand to inform visitors why Volkswagen chose to be involved in this event – what it means for the brand, why it fits with the company’s values, and where it sits within the wider Diversity and Inclusion initiatives of the Volkswagen Group, both in the UK and internationally. The PRID.3 will be displayed opposite this sponsor area, allowing visitors viewing the car to find out more from Volkswagen Group colleagues nearby, as well as visitors to the sponsor area to take a look at the car once they have visited the friendly Volkswagen Group team attending the stand.
Volkswagen’s involvement in Milton Keynes Pride Festival was borne in the We Drive Proud UK Employee Network Group (ENG), but has since spread to the wider business, as more and more colleagues expressed their interest in getting involved in the colourful and enriching project. The task team eventually attracted more than 20 volunteers from across Volkswagen Group UK, with additional team members scheduled to attend the brand’s sponsor area on 11 September.
Volkswagen’s We Drive Proud UK network was established in late 2019. The group continued to meet remotely throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, hosting several high-profile online events such as talks with prominent LGBTQ+ figureheads and senior global executives. Membership has expanded from a handful of original attendees to include Board and management team members, with LGBTQ+ colleagues represented, as well as supporters and friends from across the business, both UK-based and international. Volkswagen Group UK’s involvement in Milton Keynes Pride Festival has further raised awareness of the network, which has continued to grow in membership as the festival approaches.
The We Drive Proud UK network sits within a wider Diversity and Inclusion programme at Volkswagen Group UK, with Driven Women, Cultural Diversity and Parents and Carers ENGs set up on behalf of further community groups within the workforce. Further information on Volkswagen Group’s Diversity and Inclusion programme can be found here: Volkswagen Group | Careers (vwgjobs.co.uk)
Andrew Savvas, Director of Volkswagen UK, said: “The PRID.3 brings together what we do as a car maker, with what we do as a responsible employer. As the PRID.3, it reflects the company giving something back to the local community. Another facet of the car shows Volkswagen looking out for its employees with inclusive and fair employment and hiring practices; and behind the ID.3 itselfre the brand’s commitment to environmental responsibility, in delivering the model carbon neutral to customers, and providing a genuinely affordable electric car.
“Being involved in Milton Keynes Pride Festival as a major employer in the area is a brilliant opportunity to demonstrate our support of the local community. Volkswagen means ‘People’s Car’, which stands for all people, so there’s really no better event to get behind than Pride, for the good of our colleagues, customers and community. Diversity and Inclusion are at the heart of all that we do.”