BMW Seeks Opinionated Porsche Drivers
BMW
Issue 10 | March 2009
Agency
DraftFCB New Zealand
Creative Team
Leisa Wall - Art Director; Jane Jamieson - Copywriter; James Mok - Creative Director
Production Team
Monique Nightingale; Wayne Sellwood; Sharyn Howard
Other Credits
Anastasia Potter - Account Executive ; Maria Reinbergen - Account Director; Fleur Head - Account Service Director
Date
May – June 2008
Background
In New Zealand, the luxury car market is a battleground. Perhaps the biggest competitor to the new BMW X6 is the Porsche Cayenne. But Porsche drivers tend to be fiercely loyal to their brand.
Idea
To confront the competition head on, Porsche drivers were mailed an invitation to drive and review the new X6 before even the press got a look at it. Making the most out of the mail medium itself, the unbranded package had German stamps on it to arouse the curiosity of the recipient. Inside there was a give-away of real value, an MP3 player. And that was all. On the player was a podcast, a German voice inviting the listener by name to a secret location to put the new car through its paces.
Results
72% of those mailed said ‘yes’ to a test drive and allowed themselves to be filmed by a dashboard camera, raving about the Beemer. It led to several immediate sales and to much brand-supportive PR.
Our Thoughts
Most marketers are obsessed with their competitors but, usually, would rather try to double-guess them rather than take them on, especially if their main competitor is one of the world’s most desirable brands. Maybe it’s something to do with being a Kiwi, but the marketing director of BMW New Zealand hasn’t allowed himself to be awed by Porsche at all. When you have a brave client like this, you don’t to let them down – and DraftFCB haven’t.