Without the ability to sit behind the wheel of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, it’s nearly impossible to feel it’s power. This is a brand that was founded on the thrill of speed, but it’s difficult to feel that impact without actually driving this luxury sedan. The larger campaign idea revolved around first-person driver footage and the tagline “The drive you’ve never had.” To play up the mystery and driver’s perspective within the luxury/travel demographic, we gave drivers a “test drive” in an unexpected way. Instead of putting people in the driver’s seat, we captivated them while they were buckled into another seat, as they fly down the runway at roughly 150+ MPH. This communicates the adrenaline-pumping speed of Giulia without relying on the physical presence of the vehicle. We provided the visuals, the airplane provided the motion, g-forces and butterflies.

To create this seat-back video, we started by creating first-person driving footage inside of the all-new Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, speeding through the mountains of Spain. We partnered with a production studio to craft each aspect of the video, and sound, creating a :30 piece that communicated pure speed. We worked with our partners at Virgin America Airlines, to make this a video that plays during takeoff, making it the first of its kind. During takeoff, passengers hear the powerful engine of the aircraft, feel the speed of the plane flying down the runway, and then right at the height of that speed – they’re transported to the driver’s seat of Alfa Romeo Giulia. This video played on every single Virgin America Airlines flight throughout the months of April and May, 2017, reaching around 550,000 passengers from coast to coast across America.

This consumer craves a multi-sensory experience that places them at the center. We used the speed and rumble of the aircraft for context, paired with a well-crafted video as the visual. This allowed us to tap into those senses in an astonishing way. By doing this, we gave the Alfa Romeo audience a unique test-drive that satisfies their desire for a harmonious, pulse-racing experience. The Virgin America In-Flight Ascending Roadblock Ad launched on April 1, 2017 and runs on each and every Virgin Airlines America flight until May 31, 2017. This means our :30 forced-play video will be seen on seatbacks by an audience of 550,000 passengers, roughly 275,000 passengers per month, allowing us to introduce the all-new 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia to a group of luxury travelers. Through this first-of-its-kind video, we built awareness of Alfa Romeo, successfully positioning it as a luxury automotive force to be reckoned with.