Subaglue
Subaru
Issue 7 | July 2008
Agency
Elvis and MCBD
Creative Team
Jason Cascarina – Copywriter (Elvis);Clare D’Andrea – Art Director (Elvis);John Treacy – Art Director / Creative Director (Elvis);Jason Garfield – Flash Designer (Elvis);Jeremy Carr - Creative Partner (MCBD);Malcolm Duffy - Creative Director (MCBD);Paul Briginshaw - Creative Director (MCBD)
Production Team
Charlie Pepper - Production Manager (Elvis); Ed Boucher - Senior Programmer (Elvis)
Other Credits
Richard Neville – Digital Director (Elvis);Catherine Morony – Senior Account Manager (Elvis);Charlotte Baker – Account Executive (Elvis);David Shiel – Group Account Director (Elvis)
Date
October 2007
Background
Subaru had launched a completely new model of its popular Impreza saloon. The objective was to convey to owners and prospective buyers that one of the new features was Symmetrical All Wheel Drive, for improved handling and safety. Subaru wanted to dramatise the way that this enabled the car to ‘stick to the road'.
Idea
Because the Impreza sticks to the road, the overall theme of ‘Subaglue’ was developed. A full page ad (developed by MCBD) ran in national press with a hero shot of the car under the ‘Subaglue’ headline, to popularise the idea. Elvis created a folded mail piece with a photograph of the car on the front. The car was glued on the back, so that when the recipient attempted to open the mailer the front tore away, leaving the car literally stuck to the road printed on the inside.
On a microsite landing page, the visitor was prompted to drag a moving car off the road using the cursor. Attempting to do so merely dragged the road beneath the car along with it. In dealerships, boxes of subaglue ‘gluesticks’ were created. Each gluestick contained information on the new model with a call to action to take a test drive today. MCBD also came up with the idea of driving a car transporter around the country for eight weeks with a level of Imprezas stuck upside down on the transporter, and the strapline, ‘It sticks to the road’.
Results
Within a month the New Impreza section of the website had received 110,277 visitors and it continues to rank as the most popular section on the website. 817 coupons were received in response to the Impreza DM, of which 779 requested more information in some way. 480 requested information on the WRX and 179 requested test drives. 61 calls were received in response to the DM.
Target Audience
Typically young, relatively affluent couples, with young kids.
Size
Direct mail: total 70,390 (3,825 customers; 16,565 prospects; 50,000 cold data)
National pre 48 insertions in national press colour supplements, and car and lifestyle magazines.
Our Thoughts
The pun is frowned upon these days though it can be used to good effect, as it is here. Yes, it‘s a pun – Subaglue - but behind it is a single-minded proposition and creative work that delivers it in spades. (NB The lorry has recently become media, with OgilvyOne’s cigarette-like tanker winning Cannes gold for CRUK, and here’s this year’s best use of car-transporter.)