The Campaign

Henry Rollins, a man who has lived through his own evolution of tough came to Australia to discover how toughness has evolved. Driving across Australia in the new X-Class he talks to people from all walks of life, including professional sports stars, musicians, politicians, as well as everyday Aussies. His interviews and observations were used to create ‘Tough Conversations’ - an integrated, content-driven campaign that includes a podcast series, a radio partnership, PR, DM, social and online content. Plus, a one-hour documentary. Not an obvious choice for Mercedes-Benz but Henry’s popularity in Australia, his interview prowess, endless curiosity and contradictory nature (rugged exterior/deep thinker) made him the perfect spokesperson to reveal a new way of thinking and new type of toughness, driving through the harsh terrains of Australia also gave the X-Class centrestage throughout the campaign.

Execution

After we announced Henry arrival to Australia, we invited local media to interview him before the start of the journey and during his journey. We then had two full media days in Melbourne and Sydney after. This strategy meant we could build hype and build social media engagement throughout his roadtrip. Local journalists met Henry and the interviewees, which built more awareness and excitement about the campaign. It gave local farmers and tradesmen (the traditional ute market) a chance to see the X-Class and talk positively about the product as well as the audience to engage in the evolution of tough messaging. Over two days of media in Melbourne and Sydney, Henry was interviewed by national media in TV, print and radio and gave his own personal account of what driving the ute and meeting Australians along the way was like, which added credibility and lead to more positive media.

Tier 1: There were 85 pieces of positive coverage about the campaign across print, online TV and radio as well as national and regional coverage - Henry got invited to co-host The Project and appear as a guest star on ABC’s Tonightly on TV. He got interviewed on mainstream radio station Triple M. The story was picked up positively by mainstream general news media, entertainment, current affairs and motoring journalists. Tier 2: Almost 70,000 people visited the campaign microsite, with ? spending an average of 4 minutes exploring the X-Class product page. Brand health measures showed our audience now see the X-Class as a tough and credible contender in the category. By the time we finished our journey the most well read and respected motoring journalists in Australia said “a genius move... one of the smartest brand partnerships I’ve ever seen.” Tier 3: The campaign gained over $821k additional media value. It reached over 4.5million in PR coverage alone. Our Instagram following grew 54% and engagement on Facebook increased 300%. All that ensured that no matter where Australians went, there was a Tough Conversations to be heard, contributing to the 9800+ people who registered their interest for the X-Class ahead of the product launch.

The Situation

Punk-rock icon-cum-social commentator Henry Rollins hosted the Tough Conversations documentary and podcast series, a journey to challenge the out-of-date stereotypes often used to represent toughness. Rollins is a recognised voice in Australia, having visited 40 times over his career. This campaign increased Henry’s PR value as it allowed media to connect with Rollins in a new light. Speaking to Australians including world champion surfer, Mick Fanning, and rapper Adam Briggs further increased the campaign’s PR value. PR was core to the campaign pre, during and after the journey, allowing Australians to engage with Tough Conversations every step of the way.

The Strategy

Targeting predominantly males 35-59 year olds who are upgrading from existing utes and mid-range SUVs. They live an active lifestyle and could use the ute for recreation, not just the stereotypical workhorse, but cannot relate to any of the communications in the category. Generating national PR in contemporary media outlets was the prime target. Coverage was achieved in each of the most high valued publications, and with the key talent, including, The Project with Lisa Wilkinson: Australian television’s highest rating talent. HuffPost Australia: A credible source amongst a progressive Australian audience. The Australian and The Deal magazine: feature interview. Channel 9 news coverage Syndicated news coverage in Australia’s most read daily news publication (News Corp) National radio (Triple M) PR was generated upon Henry’s arrival in Australia (national major newspaper and national current affairs television), along the journey (local news, radio), and at the conclusion (two days of media interviews).