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Stand out and sell yourself with a ‘Wow’ factor

nicole papa
Nicole and Papa - the ad sequence was a long-running success for Renault

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30 September 2015

WHAT can we learn from the automotive industry’s advertising to find the ‘Wow’ factor?

Remember the mesmeric ‘cog’ advert put out by Honda? Who can forget Nicole and Papa from the Renault Clio commercials or Citroen’s Transformers or the ‘little dads’ with the Vauxhall Meriva and Zafira? There’s something about these top car manufacturers that understand how to do advertising and how to do it well.

So what lessons can we learn from the very best in this industry?

Stand out

What all of that quartet of adverts have in common is a unique factor that makes them stand out. There’s an element to them all that makes them ‘the one with…’ – and that’s the way they would be talked about by friends sitting around the coffee table or in the pub.

That element is always a bold, creative idea. In an interview, the creative team at W+K London, the people behind the aforementioned Cog, explained: “You’re always proud to make work that makes viewers sit up and say ‘wow, that was good’.

“With the bombardment of advertising that we all experience every day, just getting people to pay attention is a tall enough order. But when you make work that gets talked about in the pub and you can see people sharing with each other, that’s incredibly rewarding.”

They added: “Car brands have a rich history of great advertising – so you’re always trying to better the last brilliant thing. And it’s not easy.

“Cog was pioneering but as soon as other manufacturers see something like that, you’ll find all advertisers try to up their game. You’ll hear marketing directors saying ‘I want the next Cog’. So making successful campaigns just makes your own job even harder. But it’s a good problem to have.”

It pays all marketers to work hard on bold ideas that will stand out from the crowd. That’s easier said than done, of course, but it’s important to be spurred on by the success of your rivals and aim to go even bigger and better than them. Be inspired, be creative and be prepared to follow the formula of the car industry to sell yourself.

Aspirational

Automotive marketing campaigns are great at showing us a dream. Stunning filmic scenery often forms the backdrop to print and TV advertising. These ads are literally showing us the life we aspire to lead – with the car right at the heart of it.

It helps if you’re selling the latest state-of-the-art sports car but, for any product or service, it’s important for marketers to show why it will be beneficial to the customer. Associate your brand with other things that your target market will be interested in.

So sports sponsorship, for example, can have the same impact as that beautiful landscape in a car ad as it puts your name side by side with something else your customer wants. The automotive industry uses the power of association well and everyone can tap into that.

Platforms

The automotive industry does not straightjacket itself by sticking to one platform or advertising method. From TV screens to billboards and magazines right through to the modern world of the web and social media – the industry recognises the need for a coherent campaign that draws on the strengths of many different platforms.

The modern marketer must embrace these new aspects. The way in which consumers now browse, shop and interact via their phones offers an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.

The automotive industry uses photos and videos well to create strong shareable content online and is adept at understanding and reaching its customer base through SMS message campaigns – such as the ones detailed on this website – when it comes to launching the latest ranges on the forecourt.

In summary then, to follow the leaders in the automotive industry we need to think big, tap into our customers’ aspirations and operate in a flexible and varied way that utilises the strengths of the modern media and, in particular, the ubiquitous smartphone, to sell yourself.

 

 

 

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