Table of Contents 6 2012 OVATION Awards Winning Entries

meaningful brand experience with consumers at the trade show. The following quantifiable objectives
were established:
• Generate a minimum of 19,000 consumer interactions
• Distribute 4,500 branded photo prints to consumers and 1,000 digital prints via email
• Obtain a minimum of 1,800,000 media impressions
• Assist Subaru Canada in realizing an overall increase in sales target for the 2011 fiscal year by helping
to deliver a minimum of 900 customer leads at the show
SOLUTION OVERVIEW:
With no vehicle re‐design, the agency took to the books to see what key consumer insights would be
uncovered to help craft a memorable activation. After a total of 12 in‐depth qualitative research
sessions across the country, the surprising results were in. The agency found that most Japanese small
SUV intenders in Canada were not aware of Forester’s new styling, many did not know of Subaru’s
Japanese origin, and most considered styling the primary purchase motivator when shopping in the
category. Armed with these insights and knowing that Subaru has a 1 per cent share‐of‐voice in the
Canadian automotive market (compared to competitors Honda at 7.9 per cent and Toyota at 6.7 per
cent), it became clear that in order to continue influencing and changing perceptions of the Forester
model and the Subaru brand, the agency needed to develop a strategic platform that would generate
another attention‐grabbing campaign. In addition, research confirmed that consumers not only
remembered the sexy sumos from the 2009 Forester launch, they were still talking about them two
years later.
The agency’s extensive research helped to shape the team’s integrated campaign, featuring TV, print,
POS, PR and social media. 2009’s sumo car wash was substituted for a nod to the classic “hot‐rod” girls
found in car magazines. The fan‐favourite sumos appeared on car hoods seductively eating ice cream,
sandwiched between two children in the back of a Forester, cooling off by pouring a bottle of water on
their bodies – in slow‐motion no less – and many other humourous scenes. Each spot closed by
announcing that with the 2011 Subaru Forester, “Sexy Comes Standard.” With a convention centre
featuring thousands of vehicles, the agency’s activation needed to drive traffic, generate buzz and stand
out above the crowd. The activation had to create enough wordof‐ mouth that media and consumers
alike would simply have to stop by to see what Subaru was up to.
DDB PR’s approach was to amplify the “Sexy Comes Standard” message by bringing the advertising to
life – all 300 pounds of it. Armed with some creative thinking and insights gained through campaign
research and previous benchmarks, the sexy sumo photo shoot was born. Designed to amplify the
overall campaign and to provide an emotional experience for Subaru’s target consumer, DDB PR created
an interactive section within the Subaru booth at the AutoShow. The area featured none other than
Byamba, the sumo‐sized star of the 2011 Forester campaign and current world sumo champion. The
event saw Byamba demonstrate a “sexy” pose with consumers while having their photo taken. Each
shot was positioned in front of a Forester and featured outdoor backdrops taken directly from the print
campaign. Consumers were given their photo in a branded frame, featuring the message: “Sexy Comes
Standard.” Likewise, the photo was sent digitally to consumers in order to encourage sharing among
social media channels.
Creative POS in the activation zone featured life‐size cut outs of Byamba encouraging consumers to
“step into the sexiest photo shoot at the AutoShow.” The TV spot was looped and the event soundtrack
featured the spot’s theme song, “Peaches,” and related music such as, “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” and “I’m