Audi
Using radio to drive awareness within a multi-media campaign
Audio(.mp3)
Background
Audi is seen as an intelligent and progressive car brand. The challenge with the A6 campaign was to bring these attributes to life and make them resonate with a usually hard to reach, traditionally minded buying audience.
Audi had an A6 TV ad which compared the number of patents in an Audi A6 to those used by NASA in the Apollo space craft. This lead to an idea that would embody ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ like never before…
The chance to win a trip into space!
Why radio?
Radio was part of an overall media solution which comprised a partnership with New Scientist Magazine who helped offer this ultimate experience, and an online hub for wannabe astronauts where all spaceflight entries were collated (winatriptospace.co.uk). Deliberately, entry wasn’t made too easy, as participants had to explain what they thought was the world’s best patented invention and why. Given the need to get the competition talked about on a large scale and quickly generate word of mouth radio had to be at the heart of the strategy.
Radio gave Audi the flexibility to talk to listeners in a number of different ways – be it explaining the link between the car and spaceflight or using celebrities to produce entertaining content to expand on the competition themes.
Implementation
Classic FM was identified as the ideal partner to reach Audi’s upmarket buying audience and complement the rest of the activity.
To launch the idea Classic FM Newsnight presenter John Brunning interviewed the editor of New Scientist (who would later judge the winning entry). A Saturday morning breakfast show promotion built hype and directed listeners to winatriptospace.co.uk.
A series of 60” advertorials ran for the next 5 weeks which showcased famous people, such as Tamzin Outhwaite and Brian Blessed, discussing what their favourite patented inventions were and why, thus inspiring people to enter. The advertorials were made available online as downloads.
Classicfm.com supported on-air activity while a bespoke ‘win a trip to space’ pre-roll ran on Classic FM TV.
Results
Winatriptospace.co.uk generated over 55,000 unique users and 2,500 competition entries.
15% of Audi owners and 9% of all new car buyers were aware of the Spaceflight promotion.
Targets for all brand metrics were exceeded: Audi image and awareness improved on all criteria. Importantly, serious purchase consideration increased steeply post promotion.
RAB Comment
Radio was an essential component of this multi-media campaign to generate talkability and awareness and was a deserved winner of the Best Use of Radio in a Multi-media Campaign in the 2008 Radio Advertising Awards. Radio helped Audi reach out to new consumers and engage them with the Audi brand positioning, crucial in today’s cut throat car market.
"The radio campaign was incredibly successful, bringing to life the intelligent technology of the new A6 and creating real excitement around the unique prize. It really inspired listeners and generated a much higher level of response than forecast. All-in-all an incredibly powerful piece of activity and we were delighted with the outcome."
James Millett, National Communications Manager, Audi UK