2019 Winners & Shortlists

PEAK OF LUXURY

BrandBENTLEY MOTORS
Product/ServiceCONTINENTAL GT & BENTAYGA V8
EntrantPERFORMANCE COMMUNICATIONS, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryDurable Consumer Goods, including Cars
Idea Creation PERFORMANCE COMMUNICATIONS, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
PR PERFORMANCE COMMUNICATIONS, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Why is this work relevant for PR Lynx?

'The Peak of Luxury' was a game-changing car launch like nothing ever done before. Traditional car launches follow the same format, which media have grown accustomed to. We took the concept of a test drive event and transformed it into an unforgettable brand experience which appealed to multiple media sectors outside of the automotive industry. Bentley now owns the title of ‘the highest fine-dining restaurant in the UAE’ which is a claim no other dining establishment - let alone a car brand - can make.

Background

In a region where Luxury is in the DNA, Bentley wanted a unique launch event concept for the new Continental GT and Bentayga V8 which no other car brand could imitate. Bentley’s strapline is ‘Together we are Extraordinary’ and the brand prides itself in creating extraordinary experiences for its customers everyday through its products and services. We were working towards three key objectives: - Bring to life Bentley’s strapline ‘Together we are Extraordinary’ - Raise overall awareness, familiarity and consideration of the Bentley brand - Increase awareness and drive sales of the new Continental GT and Bentayga V8

Describe the creative idea.

We created an unforgettable luxury experience which took guests beyond a test drive and immersed them in the extraordinary world of the Bentley. Bentley epitomizes the height of luxury – with regional insights showing that ‘world-firsts’ are popular in this market and customer intelligence telling us that Bentley customers are passionate about fine-dining - we created ‘the highest fine-dining restaurant in Arabia’ on the summit of the UAE’s tallest mountain – Jebel Jais. Guests drove the new cars on the famous twisting mountain roads before reaching the peak of Jebel Jais where a luxurious ‘pop-up’ restaurant was custom-built in the style of a traditional Arabic tent. We teamed up with a locally-renowned British chef to create a Grand Touring-inspired classic British menu, with a Middle Eastern twist. When guests stepped inside the tent, they were transported into a lavish Bentley dining room with breath-taking views across the stunning mountain scape.

Describe the strategy.

To bring Bentley’s strapline to life, we adopted a strategy of using insights to align the brand with its target audience’s passions, further elevating its ultra-luxury credentials while creating an offering to attract a wider range of media - automotive, luxury, lifestyle, food, travel and marketing trade. Our insights told us: - There is an appetite in the region for record-holding ‘world firsts’, ‘tallest’, ‘largest’ landmarks, attractions and events - ‘Personalised and experiential dining experiences’ are a growing regional food industry trend - Bentley’s target audience of HNWIs, is passionate about luxurious lifestyle, in particular, dining at exclusive restaurants and hotels across the world Furthermore, Chef Colin was a strategic choice of partner - his strong media profile, opening of a new restaurant in London and tipped for a Michelin star - he offered added news value.

Describe the execution.

Experiential: A traditional automotive launch transformed into an unforgettable experience; the restaurant’s incredible location provided an epic test drive experience on world-renowned roads. The Hollywood sign, Bentley artefacts in the restaurant, ‘Grand Touring’-inspired British menu all demonstrated extraordinary Bentley-levels of attention to detail. Content-led: A hero film telling the Peak of Luxury story premiered on Bentley’s Global YouTube channel. The film was also syndicated to guests in the press kit, and, with regional and global press releases targeted at automotive, luxury, lifestyle, food, travel and marketing trade media. A ‘Hollywood’ Bentley sign on the mountainside, behind the new cars, provided branded content opportunities and guests had access to a film and photography crew for individual, bespoke content creation. Global appeal: Originally intended as a regional activation, Bentley’s global team invited media and influencers from Russia, Austria, Germany and the UK to join regional media at the event.

List the results.

Bentley sales: - Six direct sales valued at +AED 5,700,000 - 35 qualified leads generated from guests (value +AED 35,000,000) Increased awareness of brand and new models: - 80 articles (all mentioning the new models) - PR value +$4.2 million - 113 social media posts from guests (total reach 4.7m & 9.4m impressions) - Global exposure through international media attendance Increase Share of Voice: - Bentley SOV against its competitors more than doubled month on month during the campaign - Bentley was the 2nd most talked about brand amongst competitors following the activation Content-led campaign: - Average video view duration was 01:01 (total film duration 01:24) - +16,800 organic video views (no paid promotion) - +270 video likes, 138 video shares - 54% of all online publications who covered the campaign embedded Bentley-owned hero video content - 67% of video views came via editorial features (external sources)

Credits

Name Company Role
Jemma Chalcroft Performance Communications Senior Account Director
Peter Ganney Performance Communications Communications Director
Aymen Al Faraj Performance Communications Account Manager
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