Table of Contents 6 2012 OVATION Awards Winning Entries

OVATION Awards Winning Entry
Communication Management
Special Events with budget greater than $50,000 up to $100,000
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
ENTRANT’S NAME: Martine Lévy
ENTRANT’S ORGANIZATION: DDB Public Relations
CLIENT ORGANIZATION: Subaru Canada
TITLE OF ENTRY: Subaru Brings Sexy Back To The AutoShow
CATEGORY & SUBCATEGORY: Division 1: Communication Management; Category 6b: Special Events with budget
greater than $50k up to $100k
TIME PERIOD OF PROJECT: January 2011 ‐ March 2011
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Acting as an extension of the 2011 “Sexy Comes Standard” advertising campaign, this
activation at the Canadian International AutoShow was conceived to generate buzz and awareness around Subaru
at the cluttered tradeshow, and ultimately to help stimulate unit sales for the 2011 Forester.
BUSINESS NEED/OPPORTUNITY:
Since the highly successful launch of the 2009 Forester featuring “sexy
sumos,” sales in Canada – once strong – began to flatten. It also didn’t help that 2010 was a year with no
new model changes, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. When the 2011 Forester model launched,
it wasn’t a complete re‐design. In fact, the aestethic changes from the 2009 model to the 2011 model
were minimal at best. Recognizing the challenges ahead, Subaru Canada engaged DDB PR to create a
memorable activation, as part of a larger integrated program, that would attract the attention of small
SUV intenders in a cluttered market dominated by behemoths, Honda CRV and Toyota Rav4. Given that
Subaru has a relatively small share‐of‐voice (1 per cent), and was faced with a lack of true “news value”
in terms of a re‐design, the agency set its sights on leaving a big, bold, lasting impression on consumers ‐
one that would act as an extension of the 2011 advertising campaign. It was time to bring sexy back to
the Canadian International Autoshow (AutoShow) in the form of a 300‐pound, world champion sumo
wrestler named, Byamba.
INTENDED AUDIENCE/STAKEHOLDERS:
Subaru identifies its target demographic as small, Japanese SUV intenders between 30‐40 years old,
with families ‐ which corresponds with the demographic found at the AutoShow. They are consumers
who require the practicality of a mini‐van, but desire a vehicle with style. Welleducated and resourceful,
Subaru’s consumer craves performance, quality and safety in their vehicles – three words that define
the brand. This family‐orientated group regularly browses through automotive publications to compare
pricing and product ratings and is bombarded with advertising by over 70 manufacturers, spanning 100s
of vehicle models, many of which appear at the AutoShow. For this audience, getting Subaru noticed ‐
specifically the Forester model ‐ among a cluttered AutoShow floor space would be a challenge to say
the least.
GOALS/OBJECTIVES:
The primary event goals, which were determined based on results from the agency’s benchmark
activation at the 2009 AutoShow, were set out as part of the planning process for this event. DDB PR
determined that elevating awareness of the new 2011 Forester model would be best achieved through a