After striking a deal to become a presenting sponsor of the 50th anniversary season of “Saturday Night Live,” Volkswagen had the opportunity to make custom content with the show. Then came the potentially hard part — deciding which of the hundreds of iconic “SNL” comedic sketches to redo in an ad. But for VW, it was an easy choice. “The Californians,” a satirical soap opera that first aired in 2012, aligned perfectly with the brand’s deep connections to the Golden State, including its historical ties to hippie and surfing culture.
