Land Rover North America, Inc. has introduced the first of two new television commercials that serve as the foundation of its new brand-building ad campaign. The “Courage” campaign is the first created for Land Rover by the Austin, Texas-based GSD&M, which won the Land Rover North America creative business in March 2000.
The Courage campaign is being aggressively launched with two new television spots, the first of which debuted yesterday in 18 of the largest national advertising markets. The television spots reaffirm Land Rover’s position as an authentic, uncompromising brand with vehicles built for creative, independent-minded consumers — mavericks — who have the conviction and the courage to go their own way. Each ad in Land Rover’s new television campaign captures a small moment of courage and connects with people who demonstrate their own confidence each day. Research indicates that consumers view Land Rover as a brand with strong values, a storied history and the courage to stay true. Land Rover buyers share these values and possess what has been dubbed the “Maverick Mindset.”
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Central also to the new campaign is an invitation to visit Land Rover Centres — the company’s award-winning, relaxed and exclusive retail outlets — and experience what Land Rover vehicles and the Land Rover philosophy are all about. Driving floor traffic by inviting people to Land Rover Centres is a critical component of the new campaign. The invitation to visit a Land Rover Centre thus also dominates the newly created and recently launched newspaper and radio advertising. It will also be central to the national magazine campaign, which launches later this summer. The final statement in each piece of ad material clearly invites the audience to “COME SEE WHAT A LAND ROVER IS MADE OF.”
“We know our Land Rover Centres work,” said Jim Selwa, Land Rover North America’s vice president, marketing. “And so does our critically acclaimed, honest and open Land Rover Way sales process. Our new ads are designed to command attention and invite more people to experience the Land Rover Centre concept.”
DOG
The first TV spot, simply titled “Dog,” shows a couple driving a Land Rover Discovery Series II through a dark rainstorm en route to an evening at the theater. Along the way, they spot a stray dog beside the road. Foregoing their theater tickets, they choose to rescue the dog from the traffic and rain. They place the dog in the Discovery’s cargo area as the ad’s voiceover says: “If you do one thing, you’ve done something. Come see what a Land Rover Discovery is made of.” Common to all new Land Rover television advertising, the spot ends with a graphic of the Land Rover oval and a single word: Courage.
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By GlobalDataLand Rover’s Courage campaign aggressively pursues a psychographic audience rather than a demographic one. “In developing the new campaign, we set out to target individuals who possess the characteristics of the Maverick Mindset,” said Selwa. “These are creative, independent people who develop their own successes. They are the people who would choose to drive Land Rovers. Our new ads simply invite these people to visit our Land Rover Centres. We’re confident that once they do, they will know which vehicle is for them.”
BIKINI
The second television spot, dubbed “Bikini”, will debut in early June. Bikini portrays a female Discovery Series II owner, clearly in late pregnancy, who arrives at the beach, overcomes her initial apprehension about mixing with slim beachgoers and confidently chooses to sunbathe in an bikini. “Always be yourself,” a voice-over concludes. “Come see what a Land Rover Discovery is made of.”
“Interestingly, these brand-building ads do not highlight Land Rover’s capabilities as a sport-utility vehicle,” continued Selwa. “People know Land Rover pioneered the sport-utility segment. We invented all that. These ads are about connecting with the pioneers themselves — the people who would buy Land Rovers.”
DISCOVERY SERIES II FOCUS
These first ads of the campaign all support the Land Rover Discovery Series II — currently Land Rover’s most popular U.S.-market vehicle — and clearly communicate its $33,975 suggested retail price. “There is a perception among potential buyers that Land Rovers all cost $50,000,” said Selwa. “Our new ad campaign puts an end to that perception by showing that the Discovery Series II is surprisingly affordable with its suggested entry price of $33,975.”
The television ads run through early July on national television and will then launch on cable channels such as A&E, the Discovery Channel and CNN. Land Rover’s Courage campaign also features regional advertising activity with newspaper ads, radio spots and billboard advertising — all of which launched during the first week of May. Magazine advertising launches late this summer with new material targeted for publications such as National Geographic Adventure, Vanity Fair and Wine Spectator. As with the current newspaper and television work, the magazine campaign will capture the imagination of Mavericks and invite this audience to “COME SEE WHAT A LAND ROVER IS MADE OF.” A phase of the advertising campaign developed to support Land Rover’s 2001 model year Range Rover will debut in the fall.
Land Rover North America, Inc., established in 1986, imports Range Rover and Discovery Series II vehicles manufactured in Solihull, England, for sale in the U.S. and is a wholly owned subsidiary of The BMW Group, Munich, Germany.
