Our audience needed to experience the joys of the Audi A5 before dismissing it because it was a sedan. To draw perception away from the surface image of a sedan, we created two sensorial experiences through media that fused all elements of human sensation and imagination, to evoke feeling. The feeling of driving the Audi A5, thus became the first impression of the Audi A5.

Neuroscience data backed up our approach. Imagination and sensation, having been proven to increase brand consideration by 47%, became the guiding light for the overall launch strategy.

The creative concept also had a synergy with the ATL creative campaign featuring the song "Pure Imagination”, by Gene Wild, from the "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" soundtrack.

Cineplex and 4DX were chosen as partners to provide consumers with a sensational experience, by running the content in cinema using motion and environmental effects to fully immerse the audience. The memorable soundtrack of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory paired with vibrations, breeze, lighting and even scents, emphasized the key attributes which made the brand spot unique.

Next, FourthWall was selected as a partner to target premium malls across Canada. Using Augmented Reality, consumers could unlock invisible Audi A5 cars from a display and discover multiple models realistic details and video.

Finally, the entire campaign experience was supported by high reach formats using TV and online video platforms. Impactful engagement units within social media platforms were geared towards creating interest in the car itself, a Canvas format allowed for richer engagement. All engagements were retargeted to generate leads resulting in test drives for the A5.

The strategy to focus on creating a lasting impression paid off. More than 2,500 people participated in the Augmented Reality experience, generating 750 qualified leads.

A5 sales tripled in May 2017 compared to 2016. Audi hit a historical month in May 2017 with 17% more vehicles sold.

Finally, for the first time in Canada, Audi grew to the #2 luxury auto brand in Canada, marking a key milestone in its Canadian story.

We needed to re-position the idea of a sedan and take a completely different approach to automotive advertising, which routinely puts the car features at the centre of their message.

Moving from the traditional methods of mass media, we knew there was a better chance in connecting with the RIGHT consumers using the latest innovations in augmented reality and 4DX cinema to deliver a lasting impression of the Audi A5. This approach, focusing on sensorial experience versus passive viewership, ultimately led to a historical month in vehicle sales.

To make sure consumers’ first impression of our models was not that of a sedan, we centred our strategy on stimulating ‘imagination’ & ‘sensation’, using sensorial media, with Augmented Reality at the core.

As we were targeting a ‘tuned-in’ audience prone to automotive ads that put the car at the center, our strategy aimed to do the exact opposite.

Playing to the cliché of showcasing the latest car model in high-end malls, we built an empty display where consumers were invited to use their imagination to unlock the suite of Audi A5 cars. Using best in class Augmented Reality technology we could ensure as much precision as in reality.

2017 saw the launch of the brand-new Audi A5 (Coupe, Cabriolet and Sportback). Our challenge was to successfully launch and generate leads at a time when the luxury sedan category is in decline (-13% vs 2013), while positioning Audi as a forward-thinking tech-focused brand.

The decline of the luxury sedan market stems from the category suffering from somewhat of an image problem, often being perceived as old fashioned by consumers.

With the Audi A5’s family of luxury sedans to promote, the creative challenge was to differentiate the new models as a different kind of sedan.