Audi: CARWINISM

Credits & Description:

Category: Best Use of Online Advertising

Advertiser: AUDI SWEDEN

Product/Service: AUDI

Agency: PRIME PR

Date of First Appearance: Mar 1 2009 12:00AM

Entrant Company: PRIME PR, Stockholm, SWEDEN

Entry URL: http://www.carwinism.com

Creative Director: Tom Beckman (Prime PR)

Creative: Jonas Bodin (Prime PR)

Media Relations: Claes Nyströmer (Prime PR)

Web Developer: Simon Strand (Prime PR)

Key Account Manager: Johan Seidefors (Prime PR)

Chief Executive Officer: Jens Wetterfors (Audi Sweden)

Information Officer: Eva-Maria Elstner (Audi Sweden)

Media placement: Articles - 17 articles - Daily Press Web - 25/03/2009

Media placement: Articles - 21 articles - Motor Media Web - 27/04/2009

Media placement: Article - 1 article - Lifestyle Press Web - 17/05/2009

Media placement: Article - 8 articles - Various Web - 20/05/2009

Media placement: Article - 6 articles - Daily Press - 03/06/2009

Media placement: Articles - 3 articles - Business press - 23/04/2009

Media placement: Blog Entries - 8 entries - Blogs - 27/04/2009



Results and Effectiveness

The unbiased national news agency felt obliged to report on the campaign no fewer than five times. In one single campaign Audi got in-depth coverage in diverse media like Elle Magazine, philosophy blogs, science communities, journalist blogs and even the world’s biggest SAAB fan site. This while securing publicity in traditional motor, general and business media.

Reach: 15 million (objective 5 million)
Over 70 articles – out of which 40 % outside motor media
Cost per contact: €0.01 (SEK 0.11)
Carwinism quoted by the world’s largest SAAB fan site.
Carwinism was also selected for PR project of the year by Audi Global.



Creative Execution

On Darwin’s birthday, Audi launched carwinism.se. Here, prominent experts, from a Nobel Prize jury member in Physics to a hip-hop columnist, investigated and explained the evolution of the car from their perspective in a series of postings.

Just like any species, the factors having influenced car evolution are infinite, and so are the potential media pitches.

For example: while “the parallel evolution of cars and home appliances” caught the eye of designer media, the story on “how music production evolved as listening to music while driving became popular” intrigued music press.

Reversing the logic of campaign sites, carwinism.se acted as a news room and platform for promoting Audi technology and innovation. Instead of maximising traffic to our blog, we maximised traffic, publicity and involvement outside it.

This editorial approach of Carwinism made it possible to tap into the daily news flow.
• What was the creative strategic solution?
• Describe the different channel(s) and how they worked together to maximise the campaign



Insights, Strategy & the Idea

How do you persuade the national news agency to write about your campaign FIVE times, get the Nobel Prize jury involved in your campaign, or get fans of competitors to speak well of you?

Well, if you are Audi and turn 100 years the same year that the car industry is facing death and Darwin should have turned 200, you launch Carwinism.

The Brief
Maximise the publicity for Audi 100 years and Audi’s technology and innovation.

The Saab/Volvo situation
Both national brands – Saab and Volvo faced the threat of closure and mass redundancies, meaning that journalist attention was turned this way, rather than a birthday of an important brand.

Idea
Combine Audi’s and Darwin’s anniversaries together with the worst car industry crisis in history and introduce a new evolution theory – Carwinism.