Direct > Strategy
OBSESSION
20:20 LONDON / LOTUS CARS / 2004
Awards:
Overview
Credits
OVERVIEW
BriefExplanation
Lotus Cars wanted to launch their new Elise sports car across UK, Germany and Italy to gain favourable trade PR and press response and consumer test drives.Lotus needed to overcome negative perceptions of being a British car brand with little modern associations–on a limited budget. The new Elise was a radical break from the past with great engineering and comfort–and faced significant competition from Porsche, BMW and Audi. The client stressed the need for innovative solutions to overcome this increased competition and somewhat old-fashioned brand perceptions.
CampaignDescription
We selected new media and direct marketing as the right blend of targeting and fresh routes to market.The maverick British movie director Ken Russell (Tommy and Women in Love) directed the viral movie showing an obsessive character collecting images of the new Elise. We used technology in a unique way: from email and address lists of purchasers and likely prospects we despatched a viral ad. We encouraged you to continue to view (and send to a friend) 'As your name appears in the movie.' More startling the movie shows a detailed scrapbook of Lotus images being prepared. Two days later the actual scrapbook arrives on your doormat.
Outcome
Amazing stand-out in a cluttered viral space and a 38.8% response rate. Dealers reported a significant increase in requests for test drives, appreciation for the brochures showing Lotus’ obsession with the smallest details, and the launch generated acres of articles on the radical new Elise. The Elise was successfully positioned as a radical departure for Lotus yet at the same time retained all the key brand assets of “modern British-ness” and engineering but updated in a radical way. And the marketing press seized on a new way of integrating new media and direct mail.
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