PROJECT FOX
Normally, when an automotive corporation launches a new car model, it will invite the world’s leading journalists to a luxury event somewhere on this planet, deliver an ok driving experience and hope to motivate them into writing positive reviews.
When Nest One (formerly eventlabs) hired Kim Pörksen, managing director and co-founder of PIECE OF CAKE for strategic, conceptual and executional support, their client Volkswagen was open to discuss this routine on occasion of launching the Fox. The car was positioned as a product for young, urban adults with close to no affinity with the media that usually covers car novelty news and who base their purchase decisions on recommendations from peers rather than advertising.
A new approach towards dynamic car presentations was to be taken by involving the potential customer group in the development and execution of the international press and launch campaign.
The solution was Project Fox.
Project Fox incorporated the car presentation into an interdisciplinary promotion project & culture festival for young professionals regarded as the products target consumers, made by the target group for the target group. During the course of the campaign, 21 international artist groups refurbished a former 3*** hotel in Copenhagen and turned it into an exciting hotel for young urban travelers. This was to be the venue for the international journalist events. Another 35 international scholarship holders selected via a contest then re-designed all hotel and catering routines for their very special guests.
Other integral parts of Project Fox saw the production of a series of art cars at the event in a mobile, thus sustainable exhibition architecture. A public discourse between the client and the participants, professionals and scientists gave the corporation valuable insights into their potential customers mindsets and underlined the open-mindedness of the entire project. To round it all off, a 700 sqm restaurant and club venue was created which opened for the duration of the press campaign and was operated for 30 days with daily live cooking dinners, program and parties staged by the scholarship holders in collaboration with local influencers and protagonists.
It was into this vibrant, pulsating, diverse and creative environment the international journalists were embedded, integrating them into an authentic target group event. The car itself was integrated both artistically and naturally as a means of mobility within this uniquely constructed urban setting.
The attending journalists were so overwhelmed by the experience that PR figures soared to five times as high as usual and went in to the billions. What was more important though was the word of mouth communication that commenced and spread all over the globe, achieved by involving consumers into the campaign who spread word to their personal networks who in effect took the message far beyond, ensuring that the marketing message landed exactly where it belonged.
Photos: diephotodesigner.de, Kim Pörksen
Links: Hotel Fox
