The Campaign

There are two types of mechanics in the world. The ones who rip you off. And NRMA MotorServe. Problem is the public don’t know the difference. So we set out to show them. We took an ordinary outdoor site and turned it into a fully functioning MotorServe workshop. Drivers were lured off the road. Their cars were driven onto our site, becoming part of our advertising. Then our NRMA mechanics did the rest, changing oil, replacing brake fluid, performing safety checks and even installing baby seats, all within full view of the public we wanted to convince. From there, our activation became our content. Interviews, roadtrip tales, customer testimonials, car maintenance ‘how to videos’ and photographs taken on the day were turned into pre-rolls, outdoor ads and digital display. They each spoke to our transparent experience, helped people find their nearest MotorServe and drove online bookings.

Creative Execution

Our idea was a unique approach to creating content for communications. By identifying a residential catchment with receptive NRMA Members, we created a two-day activation event over a busy weekend that snared a captive audience and used them as the ambassadors for our MotorServe brand. The content that we captured continued to fuel our communications for the next three months. On the day, video crews interviewed drivers and mechanics to create 30 SEC YouTube pre-rolls. A stills photographer captured images that were used in location-based outdoor executions, directing viewers to their nearest MotorServe. The images were also used in digital display where they helped drive online bookings. Promo Staff handed out pamphlets and encouraged passersby to ‘Save $50 off their next car service’.

In just a few short months we’ve seen… 195% increase in branded search 12,000 new customers representing an overall increase of 19% $3.57 million in incremental revenue 18% decrease in cost per acquisition 380,000 views of our content videos

This work is relevant for Media Lions because it took an ordinary outdoor site and transformed into a fully working auto-mechanic workshop, redefining the medium in the process. The content that was captured on the day of the activation then formed the core of our media plan and became our campaign assets for the next three months.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Our media strategy was built around content generated from our brand experience. Video footage was captured on the day and turned into 30 SEC pre-rolls targeting different segments of our prospective customers for their unique needs. ‘Get roadtrip ready’ targeted young drivers, ‘Professional child seat installation’ targeted busy Mums and ‘Customer testimonial’ targeted those who were wary of rip-off mechanics. A stills photographer captured images that were used in location-based outdoor executions, directing viewers to their nearest MotorServe. The images were also used in digital display where they helped drive online bookings. Then each of the messages was tested and optimised as our campaign progressed.