THIS IS NO SMALL ACHIEVEMENT

Australia is one of the most competitive car markets in the world, with over 65 brands all fighting for differentiation. With this kind of brand, model and message clutter, double digital growth in any single measure is particularly difficult.

This campaign has achieved results in 2 months that would normally take years to achieve.

Australia also an incredibly conservative car advertising market, with strict guidelines on what can be shown and said.

This campaign deftly tip-toes along this very thin line in the executions like “Suzuki Skates” and the campaign line itself.

The campaign line is a play on the Australian colloquialism “For F#cks Sake”, which is a term typically used when one is exasperated.

Driving is the stuff of kids’ dreams.

Yet every car advert takes itself so seriously.

It’s like car manufacturers forgot the best thing about them, they fill people with joy.

Not Suzuki though. There’s now a very good reason to buy one now.

Our idea: FOR FUN’S SAKE.

It’s not a concept. More a philosophy.

Because, let’s be honest, do we really need a better reason when making a life changing decision like buying a car? Seriously, we’ve been doing this for a while.

After all, why did we make the Jimny bright green? Why did we call it a Jimny? Why does the Swift have a ‘booty’ instead of just a boot?

Well, because they’re more fun that way.

WHAT HAVE WE BECOME?

It’s sad but true. Australian car ads are almost always as boring as f#ck because they tend to take themselves so seriously.

Sure, cars are getting pretty serious.

It’s all efficiency, safety, connectivity… and soon enough, autonomy.

Boring. It’s like everyone forgot one important thing:

Sitting isn’t fun. Driving is fun.

So, while the rest of the market talks about rational features that take the fun out of hitting the gas, Suzuki Australia decided to focus on what our audience really wanted. Non-driverless cars. Cars that make you feel great.

HOW WE GOT HERE:

So often we try and say something smart and clever to our audience to try and swing their consciousness our way. For this campaign we set out to create a very likeable, strategic re-positioning, that could manifest in a campaign that people could love without us needing to give the strategy away.

Put simply: we needed to make the right audience feel irrationally drawn to the Suzuki brand.

To hit the right creative note, we cross referenced multiple data sources including brand, sales and behavioural research with needs mapping, archetypes and challenger brand strategy.

Check this out.

PERFECTLY CORRELATED GROWTH:

During the campaign evaluation period (Weeks 9 to 18 of 2019) we have seen a 35.63% growth in enquiries versus the same period in 2018, with orders increasing 32.04% at the same time.

These are incredible shifts in hard metrics, and are supported by the brand research.

THE CAMPAIGN HAS LIFTED BRAND MEASURES SIGNIFICANTLY:

Independent research (included in the presentation) shows the shift we’ve achieved when the campaign has been seen versus not seen. As we hypothesised in the strategy, a focus on likeability has driven emotionality into the rational evaluation of most Suzuki brand features, many of which aren’t featured or showcased in the campaign.

Amongst those exposed to the campaign, the results speak for themselves.

Good Reputation: up 118.18%

Good Performance: up 100%

Value for Money: up 55.56%

Innovative: up 50%

Fun to Drive: up 40%

Proud to Drive: up 38.46%