The Campaign

No regulations of relevance.

Results

The project was an opportunistic response to an online auction. When four Kiwi lads were confronted by the all-consuming responsibilities of adulthood, their first love - a 1957 Series One Land Rover, fell into disrepair. Reluctantly they listed her for sale, which (fortuitously for us) coincided with the final production year of the much-loved Land Rover Defender – the direct descendent of the Series One. Land Rover New Zealand covertly bought, restored, and road-tested the Series One. We then conducted a surprise reunion via a bespoke TVC instructing the lads to head outside to receive the greatest Valentine’s gift ever. The entire stunt was covered by New Zealand’s leading current affairs show and filmed for online content. We distributed the content to countless media outlets with a press release informing them of the final year of Defender, and reminding the world how much love there is for the iconic lineage.

Ours was a story about a few that resonated with many – the idea of parting with a prized vehicle due to circumstance was widely identified with and created significant empathy. The online content was launched on the global and regional Land Rover Facebook pages - a community that is vast, passionate, and outspoken about the brand. It also played in cinemas nationwide on and around Valentine’s Day, providing much-needed respite for men on a day traditionally geared towards women, especially those misfortunate enough to attend the cinematic release of Fifty Shades of Grey which took place that same weekend.

The content, originally intended for NZ only, was picked up by 15 markets and translated into 4 languages. It gained 4 million+ views across all channels over Valentine’s weekend. Over 4.7m views across Facebook, 75,000 interactions, and 7.1m post reach. Cost per click was well-below Land Rover standard expected KPI of $0.04. The campaign well exceeded client expectations and became the most watched Land Rover content piece ever. Defender sales were up 235%, four likeable kiwi lads were reunited with their first love, and thousands of grown men decided to chop onions while watching it.

The campaign was initially targeted at the 4 unsuspecting lads, but our ultimate objective was always to use the charming background story as a platform to create emotive, entertaining, engaging content. It’s unmistakably Land Rover through and through - the opening shot of the hand holding the keys, the multiple vehicle shots, and the timely mention of Above & Beyond at the conclusion - all wrapped up in a charming true story.