Challenge:

The Chevrolet Equinox is currently undergoing internal evolution, with no major product updates planned for the year. It faces significant challenges in the highly competitive mid-size SUV market. Despite this, there is low foot traffic to showrooms, making it difficult to maintain the Equinox’s popularity and stand out from the clutter. Additionally, there is a lack of clarity surrounding the Equinox's proposition among consumers.

Objective:

Hence, there is an urgent need to emphasize our product's core strengths, particularly its safety USP and superior performance. The goal is to increase brand affinity, attract potential customers, generate leads, and drive traffic to showrooms.

Media:

Recognizing that the street is where most drivers notice a new model, rather than through traditional advertising, we capitalized on this with a roving stunt. Even if the campaign started from targeted advertising aimed at our selective audience, we leveraged the Baader-Meinhof effect to maximize impact.

To ignite the campaign in a captivating manner, we orchestrated a striking initiative: driving a conspicuously dirty Chevrolet Equinox through the bustling streets of Shanghai. This attention-grabbing move ensured that the vehicle stood out amidst the urban landscape. Subsequently, we strategically positioned the Equinox in a prominent central location within the city, inviting passers-by to explore its features.

Moreover, we integrated QR codes onto the vehicle, providing a seamless digital connection for interested individuals. These QR codes directed them to one of the 29 Discovery mini-episodes, comprising behind-the-scenes footage from the renowned “First Man Out” series. This content series delves into the backstory of the dirty vehicle, showcasing its selection by celebrity explorer Ed Stafford for an extreme survival challenge. Stafford's trust in our vehicle's performance and safety features serves as a powerful endorsement.

Target Audience: Primarily men aged 35-44 with a strong affinity for outdoor activities.

Media Strategy: Emphasizing non-traditional media tactics and strategic placement within entertainment shows to optimize the media budget across paid, owned, and earned channels. Sponsorship selection is pivotal to reinforcing the brand's Western image while instantly establishing credibility for exceptional performance and safety.

Approach: To stand out amidst advertising clutter, we opted for a counterintuitive approach compared to competitors. Rather than showcasing the glossy exterior of our vehicles, we deliberately obscured it, compelling people to focus on performance and safety. This unconventional strategy led to our Dirty Launch and behind-the-scenes sponsorships.

We executed the campaign with a bold move: driving a visibly dirty Equinox through the streets of Shanghai, sparking intrigue and curiosity. QR codes strategically placed on the vehicle directed viewers to engaging content. Instead of simply sponsoring a mainstream Discovery channel series like First Man Out, we opted for behind-the-scenes footage, spotlighting how the Equinox empowers celebrities like Ed Stafford and his crew to undertake successful explorations. This innovative approach not only highlighted our product's reliability but also captivated audiences, setting us apart in a crowded market.

Our campaign not only exceeded expectations but also significantly influenced consumer behavior. It achieved more than just positive communications, engagement & media metrics. It led to measurable business improvement.

1. Business Objective: Reverse Decline, Achieve Growth.

- In a challenging economic context, our goal was stabilizing the decline and improving our SUV market standing

- Despite a seven-month economic slump, we attained a year-on-year sales increase of 62.8% in March 2023

- Chevrolet’s sales ranking improved markedly, reaching around the top 100 in the competitive period

2. Marketing Objectives: Interest for Chevrolet Equinox

As consumer awareness and content engagement for the Chevrolet Equinox surpassing targets, we have successfully reignited people’s interest in and passion for knowing more about our brand.

- The campaign garnered over 120 million views

- Over 2.45 million times clicks to website

- More than 700,000 engagement

- 4,556 leads were obtained

- 2,980 showroom vist