Audi S3 competes in a cluttered category filled with formidable competitors. The target audience of young, single, wealthy urban males are extremely aware of marketing. They hate being sold to and are selective about how they spend their time. Our challenge? First, capture the hearts and minds of this discerning audience. We needed an engaging brand experience that they would feel compelled to share with friends. Second, get them to register for a test drive. From a list of 5,000 recipients, we wanted a database of 250 potential buyers – a 5% response rate, all on a limited budget.

To deliver our goals, we created an intriguing, unbranded direct mailing piece, leading to a website, avoiding costly incentives. The DM, a low cost postcard, asked recipients: “Do you have it in you?” Depending on the result (always positive), they were approved to visit a personalised website. Online, they completed a visual and audio experience - a tongue-in-cheek psychological test. Finally, the Audi S3 revealed, with their results relating to features of the car. They could then see vehicle specifications, register their interest and book a test drive. To engage their friends, there was a humorous viral element.

After just one week of campaign activity we saw some phenomenal results, well beyond our wildest expectations:• 2,201 personalised URLs activated for our database of potential buyers (a whopping 43% response rate, almost NINE TIMES our 5% response target!).• 22,118 unique visitors (that’s 4.5 times our original mailing, illustrating the power of word-of-mouth) and more than 400 viral email messages sent from the website.• 70 confirmed test drives for Audi S3.Not bad for just a week’s worth of results.