Why is this work relevant for Direct?

The Suzuki Rooms campaign is essentially dozens of direct tactics driving prospective car buyers to experiences that help them see Suzuki cars a little differently. Direct digital, eDM, website and social all drove people directly into dealerships or to our test-drive booking page.

Background

The onset of the COVID pandemic and subsequent lockdown saw a significant drop in Suzuki sales and foot traffic in Australia. Our brief was to create a response that would capture the public attention at a key moment in time, whilst delivering a campaign that laddered up to the brand's For Fun's Sake platform.

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

When people aren't really allowed to leave the house, it's hard to sell cars. So we didn't – we sold extra rooms.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

The Suzuki Rooms campaign repositioned the benefits of cars at a time when Australians weren’t driving much at all, and forced to stay at home, often in crowded or cramped environments. And at a time when brands were being criticised for their same-same covid advertising campaigns, this tongue-in-cheek approach put our cars back in the minds of Australia's buying public and gave everyone a smile when they really needed it most.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

Launching with a TVC product announcement by ‘Suzuki Architecture’, Suzuki Rooms was able to highlight all the features of Suzuki cars by demonstrating how these much-needed “extra rooms” boasted an impressive number of built in features, from self-cleaning windows, 360-degree-views, air conditioning for your feet and wardrobes for your glove collection.

List the results (30% of vote)

This campaign hit a remarkable nerve – a funny one apparently. While the Australian auto market declined over 30% during the Covid-19 period, sales during Suzuki Rooms actually grew 3% year on year. The campaign also received over 1,000,000 organic views. And we proved that there is always time for a little light… northern light, southern light, western or eastern light. Depending on how you park it.