With a recognised ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ brand problem, VTNZ had to pull off the impossible. It flipped the script on its negative public image while turning an acknowledged grudge purchase into something resembling a pleasure.
This year marked the last that Land Rover’s Series One Defender was to be produced. Luckily the brand stumbled across the perfect love story to spread the word and won the Innovation and Automotive categories.
The local car industry had its best year ever last year, with a 12 percent increase in new car sales. And the growth looks set to continue, with 750,000 New Zealanders planning to buy a car over the next year. But the way they’re buying them has changed significantly in recent years and, according to Nielsen data, 78 percent are reaching for their keyboards to help them make a purchase decision. PLUS: what the rise of mobile search means for advertisers.
0-100 is a much-used metric to show how powerful a car is. But Holden and Ogilvy & Mather NZ have flipped that on its head to promote the limited edition Commodore GTR, of which only 100 have been made for the New Zealand market.
Fieldays is coming and, over the next 33 days, New Zealand will once again be bombarded with advertising aimed at this nation’s agrarian warriors, many of whom have a fair bit of cash stashed in their gumboots. And Ford has shot into first place with a tribute to what televisual experts all agree is the best programme ever made, A Dog’s Show.
When it comes to selling cars, there’s no substitute for getting bums on seats and letting potential customers get a whiff of that new car smell. And Hyundai and Shine have put a few different bums on the seats of its Accent model, including that of a truck driver, in an effort to inspire other Kiwis to take it for a hoon themselves. Plus: Hyundai’s rise through the reputational ranks.
Last year, after six years in second place, BMW knocked Audi off its perch and reclaimed the top selling premium car mantle in the New Zealand market. But Audi isn’t far behind, it’s still growing and it’s decided to tap into the nation’s patriotic fervour with one of the German brand’s first locally shot campaigns.
Volkswagen hit a speed bump this year when it voluntarily (with the help of a bit of media pressure) recalled more than 2,500 cars due to reliability issues. However, it’s another type of recall which has got the German car manufacturer’s motor running.
Holden’s latest TVC for the Commodore is part black tie dinner and part bogan romp – showing the new VF Commodore’s classier side, while paying homage to Holden’s bogan roots and fan base.
For the first time in the New Zealand market, Fiat Chrysler Group has launched under one distribution network. And it’s promising to use its additional clout to get its Italian and American brands in front of Kiwi car buyers.