Our idea was to challenge the stereotype of the typical luxury automotive spokesperson--a role commonly fulfilled by masculine men (Jon Hamm for Mercedes, Matthew McConaughey for Lincoln, James Spader for Acura)--and poise someone new and unexpected as the new “face” of Buick.

The catalyst for this was “Imagine Yourself”--a unique, 3-minute-long branded film that tells an endearing, fictional story of imagination and discovery, while unobtrusively showcasing the newest vehicles in the brand’s redesigned lineup. When the main character, played by Ellie Kemper, is mistaken for a Buick owner, she imagines herself as the new spokesperson for the brand. As her imagination leads her on a fun-filled journey through different Buick vehicles, Ellie discovers a newfound appreciation for the new Buick lineup--and the charming stranger she has just met.

• Implementation

The long-form film was released via organic social posts, paid social posts, and paid high-impact rich media placements--all of which drove to a campaign landing page that housed the long-form video, along with supplementary videos.

• Timeline

The film was timed to be released on organic social channels on January 24, 2016--exactly two weeks before the Super Bowl--in order to precede the rush of Super Bowl commercials. After the Super Bowl, paid media increased to coincide with the mid-April launch of Ellie Kemper’s Netflix series The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Media is set to run through June 2016.

• Placement

The film ran on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Adweek, Creativity Online, Fox, CBS, Hulu, ABC, FX, People, Real Simple, Forbes, In Style, and Elle, among others.

• Scale

The scale was North American audience on digital channels, totaling 317+MM Impressions.

• Reach

Through April 2016, the film gained 317MM+ impressions across all channels.

• Engagement

Through April 2016, the film gained 65.9MM+ video views across all channels.

• Impact

The film was unequivocally favored across social channels, as 97% of its organic social mentions were positive in nature. It produced a significant lift in positive brand opinion (17%), and an even greater lift in brand consideration (24%). (*Metrics through April 2016)