The core of international renowned brand Audi is defined as ‘living progress’. Audi wants to make a positive contribution to the future of mobility; with technology and innovation that helps people and their environment move forward. Audi aims to bring this consistency in communication to a locally relevant level in order to bring their brand principles of design and innovation to life in an impactful and tangible way.
Year on year, the amount of electric cars within the Netherlands grows exponentially. In 2030 there are expected to be 1.9 million electric cars in the Netherlands. An appealing view from a sustainability perspective. The same forecast projects a need for 1.7 million charging stations in the Netherlands. Meaning a charging station will be installed every 21 meters in the streets of Amsterdam, which is a less appealing view from a cityscape perspective. This has a huge impact on the cityscape as the Dutch already consistently list the rise of these generic charging stations as a growing annoyance in the transition to electric driving.
As a leading car brand in the transition to electric driving, Audi took on the challenge of contributing to the rapid electrification of the industry in a positive way while also taking the by-products of the growth in electric cars into account.
With the biggest range of hybrid and full electric vehicles, Audi wanted to rightfully solidify itself as the leading car brand in the transition to electric driving. Through a locally relevant campaign, that’s in line with the global brand strategy, Audi wanted to strengthen their premium and progressive brand perception.
Audi, in collaboration with designer Sabine Marcelis, developed a custom designed charging pole for the streets of Amsterdam. A charging pole that not only perfectly fits the city of Amsterdam, but also enriches the environment it is placed in. Turning an outdoor placement into a tangible brand experience, as it is unmistakingly Audi branded and conquers space in an environment where it is most relevant.
Through a channel-specific content series, consisting of five videos and stylish product photography, the audience was taken into the design and production process of the charging station.
The charging station was unveiled to the press and public during the event ‘Design for an electric city’. Speakers gave their views on the city of the future and the role of mobility in the transition to electric driving. Visitors were given the opportunity to admire the charging station in real life and to interview Sabine Marcelis. After the event, a compilation of all campaign videos went live, in which the entire process could be followed from A to Z.
All content was shared before and after the unveiling of the charging station via YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
The campaign was widely picked up by the press, which doubled the paid media-budget through free publicity (Hagens PR, 2022). Engagement on both Audi’s and Sabine Marcelis’ social channels were high. A large group of enthusiasts also reposted the content on their own channels, which in turn provided additional reach. Audi had the highest commercial communication awareness compared to BMW and Mercedes (Marketing Performance Monitor Audi, 2022).
After the campaign, a positive effect on Audi’s premium progressive perception was observed. Audi achieved each set target for growth for the Category Entry Points: Design, Electric, and Innovation. Audi achieved its highest mental market share with an index growth of 1.16 making them the fastest climber (Validators, 2022).
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Strategy Director
Rasmus Keller Jansen
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