All New MX-5 Roadster
Award Category
AUTOMOTIVE
Agency
OMD
Client
Mazda Australia
Collaborating Partners
1Mazda & CHE Proximity
Objectives
Convertibles were the cars of the moment in 1989 when Mazda released the first MX-5. But more than 25 years on, sports cars havebecome synonymous with ‘mid−life crisis’ and moved out of the consideration of those in the market. As a result, Mazda tasked OMD with reinvigorating the appeal of the convertible to a whole new generation, with a $36 million sales target in the first financial year following launch. Pushing the challenge even further, the agency had a conservative $2 million budget for its marketing push.
Campaign
OMD's forecasting highlighted that loyalists, those who already owned and loved convertible driving, would contribute to 40% of overall sales, meaning that new prospects would have to make up the remaining 60%. The agency highlighted a target audience: affluent, obsessed with technology, without children and aged 25− 39. Given that this group tend to be professional, busy and always connected, the campaign needed to convince them to finally ‘switch off’ and enjoy the thrill that the MX−5 could deliver. To reach this audience, OMD focused on two core channels, digital and outdoor, with the aim of romancing prospects during their ‘switch-on’ work mode, from the commute to work onwards. Capturing this audience included the biggest outdoor campaign Mazda Australia had ever executed, with digital assets from APN and QMS delivering dynamic messaging depending on time of day, supported by large format placements in the CBD, office towers and arterial roads. Mazda also partnered with lifestyle mastheads Time Out and Daily Addict to implement content in relevant verticals across fashion, eating out and weekend travel. In addition, Instagram influencers such as Pia Miller and Brooke Hogan were also recruited to take the MX−5 away for the weekend to produce organic content complemented by paid amplification.
Results
On mobile, consumers spent an average of 2.29 minutes engaging with the MX−5, surpassing the campaign page benchmarks. Prospective buyers dominated onsite traffic as they looked for more information. By the end of March 2016, OMD exceeded its sales target by 40%, with prospective consumers accounting for 22% of sales compared to 9% prior to launch. In addition, the Instagram campaign reached 965,000 unique people on the platform with 15,500 people completing the video ads.
Judges Comments
“Strategy was strongly embedded in consumer insight. It was well articulated with a good understanding of customer preferences and understanding which led to solid business returns.“
