Ajax, Ont.-based Audi Canada presented MBS Toronto with a challenge: get the Q7 luxury SUV – the newest and least-known entrant in the category – onto the buyer’s shortlist of two or three cars. In a week.

Goal

To come up with a plan that would put the Q7 on the shopping list of prospective buyers.

Target consumer

Older, affluent adults, likely the current owners of luxury sedans and/or SUVs.

Insights and strategy

Newspapers and online are the media of choice for consumers ready to buy. But the clutter of automotive advertising in these media makes it difficult to stand out. MBS Toronto needed to get the newcomer in the target’s face – fast. The strategy called for disrupting the status quo in order to ‘squeeze’ the Q7 into the shortlist.

The plan

In just one week in July, the team planned and executed formats to bring the Q7 to the forefront of any SUV discussion, including front-page wraps in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver papers; home-page placements on MSN & Yahoo; and follow-up with standard formats through the campaign.

The wrap format (a first in the automotive category) drove the creative messaging, which ran with the teaser ‘Don’t buy an SUV’ on the cover, followed by a full page that added, ‘(Until you’ve seen the Audi Q7).’ Online placements also led with the same teaser followed by the vehicle reveal.

Results

One week into the campaign, there were spikes in online visits, showroom traffic, test drives and sales.

Credits

MBS (MediaCom): Sunith Lobo, account director

Audi Canada: Doug Clark, director of communications, marketing and PR

Lowe Roche: Geoffrey Roche, CD; Patrick Shing, AD; Ryan Spelliscy, writer

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