Take the wheel

Location

Australia

Agency

2019

Year

TBWA

An augmented reality experience that put the eagerly awaited Nissan 370z directly in the hands of customers and pushed sales through the roof.

PROBLEM/:

In Australia in 2009 car sales had fallen by 22%. While most manufacturers were slashing prices, Nissan bravely launched it’s new sports car to a GFC bitten audience at full price. Our brief? Sell.

INSIGHT/

In a recession, people don't buy features—they buy feelings. Sports car buyers don't want specifications; they want the visceral thrill of being behind the wheel. But traditional test drives required visiting dealers when foot traffic was down 30%. What if we could deliver that 'behind the wheel' feeling directly to their homes?

To get people behind the wheel we met them half way. We sent them a wheel in the Mail.

TECH/

The wheel drove customers to a website where they could take the 370z for a virtual spin with the help of brand new (in 2009) Augmented Reality technology. Hold the wheel up to a webcam and the 370z appears, turn the wheel and the car turns.

The campaign intrinsically integrated DM, press and digital channels to create a bigger, more involving customer experience of being behind the wheel of the 370z.

RESULTS/

The highly integrated campaign took our target market a big step closer to “Taking the wheel for real” consumer and the press loved it and it created a lot of positive noise.

Our innovation and early adoption of AR got consumers emotionally and behaviourally involved.

Banners achieved CTRs of up to 73.24%, smashing industry standards. We doubled our enquiry target and met annual sales targets within in the first two months.

The end result was an unprecedented 150% increase in the number of cars sold resulting in a 630% increase in ROMI – all during a major economic downturn.

This campaign won at Cannes, OneShow, Effies, AWARD and D&AD. At ADMA it took home the grand prix Winged Messenger.