2011 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

After their mini test drive, we invited them to sign up for a longer test drive. On average, 7 out of 10 respondents did, including drivers of Toyotas, Jeeps and even Range Rovers who are known to never consider a Patrol. (This doesn’t include the woman who called the police or the angry man who beeped the horn for 10 red-faced minutes.) We’ll be repeating the stunt over more weekends to amortize costs and maximize the investment. And Arabian Automobiles are so convinced of its efficacy, they have made this an integral part of their 2011 Patrol marketing plan.

Creative Execution

We “forced” other SUV owners to test drive the new Patrol. On different days at different parking lots, we blocked other SUVs by parking the new Patrol behind them. Then we left a note encouraging them to move the vehicle. Once they were inside the Patrol and they started the vehicle, a CD automatically played a special message that apologized for the inconvenience, explained the features of the vehicle and encouraged them to sign up for a real test drive. At the end of this message, drivers were invited to collect a CD from the center console. It contained brochures and videos of the Patrol in action. Since this took place in parking lots, Arabian Automobiles only needed police permissions, a shooting permit, and of course, a brand spanking new Patrol.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

The Nissan Patrol hasn’t changed its design in several years. It wasn’t seen as luxurious – it was more of an off-roading vehicle. But the new version is much more luxurious than any other SUV in its class, while still maintaining its off-roading roots. Research has shown that current SUV owners are more likely to buy a new SUV than non-SUV owners. From past experience, test drives are the best way to drive sales conversions. We knew that if we could get competitors’ drivers into the vehicle, it would do more than any print ad or sales brochure could. Double-parking is common behavior in Dubai, with people leaving notes on their windshields in case they’ve blocked someone in. We used this insight to stage a stunt in various parking lots around the city.