The Campaign

To put a Porsche through its paces, and really see what it can do, demands a certain level of skill. So if you want to drive a Porsche – any Porsche – you’re going to need more than just an ordinary driver’s licence. Our idea: Licence to Thrill. Taking inspiration from real-world licence tests, our recruitment phase was designed as an online Theory Test, while the event itself was billed as a final Practical Test, with its own unique set of driving challenges. Earning this ‘special licence’ wouldn’t be easy. But we knew our target audience was highly competitive by nature. Moreover, it would serve as a badge of honour and a unique endorsement by one of the most iconic automotive brands.

Creative Execution

To launch the campaign, a series of online films showed off the unique dynamics of the different models, while offering a glimpse of the challenges to come. Viewers who proceeded to the online Theory Test were drilled on their knowledge of Porsche racing history, design, and technology. 28 top scorers were then brought to the ultimate testing ground – Malaysia’s Formula 1 racetrack, the Sepang International Circuit – for our final event. On the day, professional drivers guided the ‘students’ through a series of unique and exhilarating challenges. Those who made the grade were issued with a coveted Porsche Licence to Thrill, with the top performer also being crowned Driver of the Year. Owners of other car brands could then clearly see what they were missing out on, while Porsche owners were able test out higher performance versions of their current models, providing opportunities to upsell post-event.

Results

Our online films garnered 6.8 million views, as well as 330,000 reactions, comments and shares on Facebook. This translated into a cost-per-view of just SGD$0.01 (20x lower than industry benchmarks). In addition, extensive media coverage generated PR valued at SGD$900,000 (USD$680,000), with a total reach of 50 million. Our microsite received 12,317 visitors, with the highest web traffic coming from those aged 25-44, fulfilling our goal of connecting with a younger demographic. In total, 3,706 people completed the Theory Test, with an average website dwell time of 11 minutes. The finalists were highly impressed with the event itself: 92% of the participants felt that the event exceeded their expectations. The campaign also led to a significant acquisition of new qualified leads, as well as a substantial and immediate uplift in sales (Please see details under ‘CONFIDENTIAL information for the Jury’).

This project started out as a limited tactical brief. We took the opportunity to elevate it into a wide-ranging strategic campaign, hinging on our hero on-ground experience. The objective? To bring to life the essence of the Porsche brand, in its natural habitat – the racetrack. We transformed a one-day event into a two-month-long integrated project, helping to grow brand awareness, generate leads, and increase sales, while at the same time creating a powerful halo effect that extended well beyond current Porsche owners and fans.

We discovered that most Porsche owners buy into the brand because they want an authentic race car that’s built for the road. Deep down, Porsche owners are real drivers – or at least they aspire to be. And they know that serious automotive hardware demands a serious driver. However, we believed our idea would also resonate with owners of competitor brands, as well as auto fans at large. This would be a broad and diverse audience, spread across 12 markets. Our media strategy was therefore geared towards the effective online targeting of car enthusiasts and C-suite executives. ¬During recruitment, three online films – propagated via social channels – created awareness and drove participation. These films led viewers to a purpose-built microsite, where they could register for an online Theory Test. The top scorers were then selected for the final on-ground event – the Practical Test.