For the past 25 years, Discovery Channel has hosted a week-long homage to sharks, and this year Volkswagen will be one of the presenting sponsors of Shark Week. For the occasion, Volkswagen has built its very own shark cage in the likeness of the 2012 Beetle. The automaker will present its creation – from designing and building the cage to putting it underwater – in three one-minute clips that will be aired throughout Shark Week.

"Shark Week has a loyal and enthusiastic following of fans, and we're thrilled to partner with Discovery Channel on this 25th anniversary special," said Justin Osborne, general manager of marketing communications for Volkswagen of America, Inc. "We wanted the integration to be authentic and fit naturally with the Volkswagen brand, imprinting our signature style on Shark Week. The Beetle shark cage plays on the silhouettes of two of the most iconic images – the shark fin and the Volkswagen Beetle."

The Beetle has not commonly been associated with the ferocity of the shark, as it's had more of a happy, bubbly appearance until the 2012 redesign came along. The new model has a more muscular design than its predecessors, and the dash-mounted flower vase is gone as well. Volkswagen even chose to reveal the new car during the 2012 Super Bowl to appeal to a more masculine consumer base. Scott Clark, one of the project's creative directors, told AutoBlog that "Shark Week is Discovery's Super Bowl," which may be why the German automaker has chosen to sponsor the television event, which runs August 12 to 16.

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