Land Rover North America, Inc. Launches New 'Courage' Ad Campaign; Striking New Ads Target Creative Individuals Possessing a 'Maverick Mindset'
23 May 2000
Land Rover North America, Inc. Launches New 'Courage' Ad Campaign; Striking New Ads Target Creative Individuals Possessing a 'Maverick Mindset' LANHAM, Md., May 23 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."
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.
Land 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.
