Business Challenge
2010 saw the return of the Volvo S60 to the mid-size luxury sedan segment – the most competitive in the luxury segment. The challenge was to target consumers that had never considered the Volvo brand before and communicate that the S60 is not your Dad’s Volvo.
Insights and Strategic Approach
Due to the social nature of our hip and creative target, we positioned the S60 as the “Naughty Volvo” to spark conversation and get the attention of next generation Volvo consumers. We needed to reach them through multiple touch points -television, print, digital, outdoor and experiential – to communicate that Volvo’s are not only safe, but thrilling to drive
Innovative Media Execution
Pre Launch
Through social networks we spread rumors that Canada was getting a Red-Light District. Creating a fake organization, “The Naughty Canada Coalition”, we interviewed people to spark the debate on blogs and social media. People were watching our video blogs, making posts and sharing content. The Red-Light District was unveiled in Toronto, as the “The Volvo S60 Night of Naughty.”
Experiential Launch
The tour across Canada centered on the ‘Naughty’ theme, with a night “Night of Naughty” launch party for the S60 in Toronto. Appealing to an urban audience, the event was an eclectic night of musical and stage performances. With an S60 in the room, we converted the Distillery District in Toronto into a “Red-Light District” for one night.
Digital
A “Naughty Dial” demonstrated the capabilities of the S60 through online video. Turning the dial from 1-4, the car conducts more dangerous obstacles to showcase the vehicle’s attributes. We crowd sourced online for the last film, asking people what they wanted the S60 to do for the finale. The dial was also on kiosks in Pearson airport experiential displays.
We created the highest performing SAY ad unit of all time that showcased the S60 in action, its brand new design, the ability to book a test-drive or even locate a Retailer, all within the ad unit.
OOH
Billboard ads were also placed outside Toronto and Montreal airports to target the hip and creative urbanite. An S60 vehicle was also placed inside Pearson airport, where kiosks displayed videos of the S60′s performance and captured leads by sending consumers directly to retailers based on interest alone.
Results
- web traffic to the Volvo Canada website and sales were up from the previous year
- Night of Naughty event sold out 5 days after reveal
- SAY Media ad unit garnered 42 million impressions
- At Pearson Airport kiosks, 238 subscribed to further communication, 80% of all entrants
The campaign won Silver for Best in Cars and Automotive Services at the Media Innovation Awards 2011
