Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

With vocabularies like “996 work culture” (work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week), involution, and fired-up kids（put more pressure on children）frequently occurring on social media and in conversations, it is evident that we live in a time full of anxiety. People born after 1985s are the primary target consumers for SUVs under 0.3 million CNY, and they are facing such a world of intense competition. Based on this insight, Lynk&Co are designed to drive them far from the city to mountains with birds chirping to experience a relaxing and stress-free time.

Background

As a new automobile brand that is very popular among consumers born after 1985, the new line of products — the all-new Lynk&CO 01 was launched in December 2020. However, an experienced campaign could not be held at that time because of COVID-19. Around this time, the phenomenon of working overtime, involution, and fired-up kids became more common in China. To continue the popularity of new products among target consumers and provide an opportunity for consumers to test and experience the product far away from the city, Lynk&CO 01 held a test-drive campaign named FUN TO THE WILD, to communicate the brand value, that is, “FUN”, “FASHION”, “DISCOVERY”, and to strengthen the brand position of a new international high-end SUV, so as to amplify brand volume and promote sales.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

The campaign takes “get way from involution” as the key idea. With chirping birds, it continuously communicates the yearning to stay close to the wild, the urge of “Fun to The Wild, Like Birds Heading Home”. It aims to wake up the desire in consumers to pursue freedom by a test-drive campaign far from the city. Finally, the campaign communicates the concepts and lifestyles embedded in the brand identity through creating a unique consumers ecosystem and building a dialogue between consumers and the world with cars.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

1. Capturing the critical point with Emotional Marketing: merge hotspot issues of social concerns in the test-drive campaign, communicate FUN TO THE WILD and environmental concepts such as taking good care of birds, protecting birds, and protecting the environment. 2. Improving user engagement in multiple sections: Cooperate with regional dealers as well as Lynk & CO car owners to build a tighter relation and create a brand concept together with consumers. 3. All-dimensional, all-platform experiential output: Combining offline campaigns with online social media such as WeChat, Weibo, Little Red Book, and TikTok to provide an all-dimensional experience for consumers.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

In the first stop, from 22nd to 30th March, the all-new Lynk&CO 01 invited auto media and families of car-owners to travel to Shanxi Hanzhong Crested ibis’s sanctuary to get close to crested ibis, a world's endangered species and had a professional test drive. They also had an exciting camping experience in Youmanji International Auto Camp in Hanzhong. Next, it was in Yinchuan Ningxia. The all-new Lynk&CO 01 invited auto media and families of car-owners to discover the Podiceps cristatus， experience mountain-road test drive and then camped here.

List the results (30% of vote)

Through this campaign, the consumers fully experience the all-new Lynk&Co 01 advantage products charming by camp lifestyle. Moreover, it communicated the concept of Lynk&Co is not only a car brand, but also the friend, the THIRD SPACE, the entertainment equipment, and as well as the social symbol. The Weibo topic # FUN TO THE WILD # received nearly 20 million views. Related short videos on the Lynk&CO official TikTok were viewed more than 1.2 million times. During the campaign period, it reached more than 95 million persons, covering all platforms, including mainstream media, core auto media, magazine/we-media, and KOL, among others. It sparked great repercussions in the automotive industry, media, and users, leading to an improvement in both the popularity and reputation of Lynk&CO 01, providing a new way for auto industry communication.

Please tell us about the cultural insight that inspired the work

1. Merging Humanistic ideas and lifestyle philosophy in a test drive, creating a breakthrough for the experience of products 2. Experimenting with Live on an official platform and cooperating with KOLs, experientially communicating campaign highlights. 3. KOC communication improves brand perception. 4. Issued official strategies to precipitate brand assets.