12 Second Strip
Issue 18 | March 2011
Agency
Publicis London
Creative Team
Executive Creative Director: Tom Ewart & Adam Kean; Art Director: Johnny Leathers; Copywriter: Gavin Kellett
Production Team
Photographer/Director: Perou; Producer: Gabi Besevic; Design: Spin; Agency Producer: Colin Hickson, Verity Saunders; Graphic Designer: Will Chak; Retoucher: Mark Wesley; Digital Art Director, Publicis Modem: Asan Aslam; Digital Creative Director, Publicis Modem: Alix Pennycuick; Technical Lead, Publicis Modem: Richard Ross; Technical Lead, Sebenza Systems: Gareth Shapiro
Date
August 2010
Background
Renault, known for sexy cars, was launching Wind Roadster, an all-new vehicle in a new segment for them – the small convertible category.
Its most notable feature was a clever foldaway roof which retracted in just 12 seconds, but the car had many other benefits which Renault wished potential buyers to be aware of, so web visits were important.
Budget was modest and client was unsure of a precise target market since no competitor model was strictly comparable.
The task was to attract fun-loving people to take a good look at the car with an idea that suggested the car’s spirit as well as talked about its product benefits.
Idea
The ‘12 Second Strip’ concept used digital outdoor media to direct participants to 12secondstrip.co.uk, where they could upload a video of their own strip to YouTube, the best entry winning a Wind Roadster.
People were invited to remove (most of their) clothing within the 12 seconds it takes the roof of the Wind Roadster to retract.
In itself this showcases the nature of the car (coupe-cabriolet roadster), the almost unique nature of the folding mechanism (it’s unique to Wind Roadster and the Ferrari California!) and the speed at which the car can be converted from coupe to cabriolet.
Additionally it highlights the daring, liberated persona of the car and its would-be drivers.
The strip from winter to summer clothing indicated ‘readiness for summer’, the most important purchasing period for cars of this type.
Results
Clients in the UK and in France loved the idea, recognising that this activation achieved more impact than would normally be achieved with limited objectives (2,000 cars) and limited budget.
Results calculated in October 2010 showed 12,500 microsite visitors had produced 1,300 conversions through to product page. 200 were interested in a brochure and 176 a test drive. These response ratios are considered successful and the campaign is likely to be re-activated in 2011.
Our Thoughts
Publicis has been rebranding itself around the idea of ‘contagious’ ideas. (See CEO Richard Pinder’s piece on p.xx) Contagion is an easier concept for agencies to grasp than clients, who, as yet, don’t know how to research for it. Buying an idea like this would have been a declaration of faith in the agency, resting, probably, on the success of the Megane Experiment we featured in Directory 17. Publicis London are establishing impressive credentials for themselves as an agency that does digital as well as, if not better than, any digital specialist.