The Campaign

We wanted to reach a previously untapped segment, who had perhaps never even heard of the Cup, but who would be most likely to be interested in it. The key would be how to find this audience and determine how to tap into their interests (see below). To reach them, we turned to livestreaming, an online phenomenon that had exploded on the Chinese internet in 2016, grabbing avid viewers around the country with its interactive and intensely personal format. To grab attention and make an impact, we had to do something truly unexpected, as well as something guaranteed to have comedic results.

Execution

Prior to the livestream, each celebrity posted a photo of a racing helmet on their various social media accounts, giving a mysterious teaser to surprise and intrigue their fans, making sure they tuned in to watch the show live. After the event, the three continued to post their reactions and thoughts on this incredible and surprising experience, reinforcing the “sporty” brand message and keeping it fresh in viewers’ minds. In addition, we recruited an array of other online KOLs to spread the message, carefully choosing those especially popular with our target audience. The message was further amplified with ads on WeChat, sent only to those who met the criteria of our target demographic, as well as ads on Yizhibo, one of China’s most popular livestreaming platforms.

We changed opinions of Audi among our target audience. Post campaign evaluation (agency source, December 2016) revealed an incredible 54% increase amongst our target who saw Audi as “sporty”. Our campaign reached 31 million of our desired target audience. Among them, more than 6 million viewers watched the livestream event, and we saw over 12 million interactions with Audi and KOLs online. We also drove greater engagement with the Audi R8 LMS Cup, adding 30% more fans to the Cup’s official Weibo and WeChat accounts, stoking continued, long term interest in the Cup and Audi racing.

The Situation

This campaign redefined Audi in the China market, a brand that most consumers saw as staid and institutional, revealing Audi’s adrenaline-fueled adventurous and sporty side. Our in-depth Big Data research fueled insights into our key consumer demographic, leading us to design a campaign plugging into their favorite hobbies and getting them engaged with the brand like never before. The key to our success was an understanding of China’s complex and ever-changing social media landscape, which allowed us to know when and where to reach users most effectively, and how to ensure maximum interaction and engagement.

The Strategy

We invited three online celebrities (whose skills matched our audience’s interests) to do what they do best… in a speeding racecar, with the whole process broadcasted to fans on a livestream. We chose a fast-talking DJ, a Rubik’s Cube whiz, and a fashionista known for her makeup tutorials. We invited them to the racetrack where the R8 LMS Cup is run. Champion driver Franky Cheng gave our three celebrities an introduction to some basic information on racing and the Audi R8 they would be riding in (thereby also giving this introduction to the livestream viewers). Next, they strapped in and got out on track, having to complete the challenge of performing their talent at a stomach-churning 100 km per hour!