2021 Winner
2021 Winners
Subaru
Year of Subaru
Like all car manufacturers, Subaru experienced a vertigo-inducing drop in sales as COVID-19 created huge shifts in consumer behaviour and priorities. Overnight, Canada’s roads were empty, commuting stopped and the farthest most people went was to the grocery store. Add to that the economic uncertainty the pandemic unleashed and you’d be hard pressed to find circumstances less conducive to new automotive sales.
Subaru established goodwill early in the pandemic as the first major Canadian auto retailer to replace branded advertising with a campaign thanking front-line workers. Environics Research noted the effort in its “Advertising During a Crisis” study as the gold standard for early pandemic messaging. But, as it became clear the pandemic would be with us for a while, the need for a longer-term plan emerged.
Their challenge was to navigate Subaru through the most uncertain conditions the automotive category has ever experienced and emerge stronger on the other side.
The pandemic put plans on hold for marketers in every category, including automotive. Subaru could have followed suit and taken a cautious approach, focusing on minimizing losses until more favourable circumstances returned.
Instead, they saw an opportunity to step up, not back. Being active in a time when competitors would likely hesitate to invest could pay big dividends. This was especially true since most Canadian automotive companies pick up international creative, unlike Subaru, which creates Canada-specific work.
The strategy they recommended: Don’t wait for sentiment to return to normal to support the brand. Do take the opportunity to be seen as an organization confident in its offering to Canadian drivers and maintain visibility when competitors are hesitating.
In October 2020, the new Crosstrek campaign showcased the vehicle’s rambunctious capabilities through a mom and dad who talk about their Crosstreks as though they were their kids, intent on enjoying all that the great outdoors can offer. The construct showcases the vehicle’s capabilities and taps into COVID-induced desire to get outside. The campaign was teased across social media before launching nationally with TV, digital, OOH, radio, retail and other social initiatives.
January 2021 brought the Ascent “Fight for Space” campaign. The Ascent is the biggest Subaru ever and was perfectly timed for families who’d been living on top of each other for months and were feeling cramped. The television commercial is an ode to space, demonstrating the family peace that’s possible with adequate room. Out-of-home brought innovation to the medium: on posters in transit shelters, vehicle imagery visibly strains to fit inside the physical boundaries of each board, demonstrating spaciousness in a disruptive and convincing way. Radio and retail efforts added extra support.
The year has just been rounded out with the launch of the new Outback Wilderness, which reflects the made-to-be-outdoors spirit of the brand. The larger-than-life launch compared the vehicle to an animal being released into the wild, complete with a helicopter airlift into its natural habitat of rugged terrain. Television is supported by out-of-home, digital and social as well as experiential installations, in high-traffic areas, of mysterious cages that growl and shake to create impact and intrigue.
The “Made To Be a Subaru” campaign focused on Subaru’s industry accolades for safety, trust and resale value. This provided extra purchase reassurance – important for Canadians concerned about making major purchases during the pandemic. All this was bolstered by always-on social content and retail promotion.
Despite all the twists and turns on the road caused by COVID-19, Subaru has experienced astonishing growth over the last year. Highlights include a remarkable increase in total Subaru sales of 11,000 vehicles from June 2020 to May 2021 versus the same period a year earlier, an amazing lift considering all these sales were during the pandemic, for the first time in history, Subaru overtook Volkswagen in total number of vehicles sold in Canada, Subaru had its best month in its history in Canada in September 2020; it also had its best July, August, October and November ever in 2020; and March 2021 was its best March ever, Crosstrek was Subaru’s most successful launch ever, with more than 6,700 vehicles sold in the first three months of the campaign, 159.7% of the 4000-unit goal, an ascent post-launch sales from January to May were up 166% versus the year prior, the work and results have impressed Subaru’s headquarters in Japan, giving Canada special status as the brand's third biggest market globally in a very rewarding outcome on the global stage, and their Canadian creative has been picked up internationally as far away as New Zealand.
Overall, it’s been an incredible year of accolades for Subaru – their VP of marketing was named one of Strategy’s Marketers of the Year and Subaru was awarded the Best of Show at the 2020 Canadian Marketing Awards. The work has been highlighted around the world by trade press for its innovation and for being amongst the best work in the automotive category.
Subaru established goodwill early in the pandemic as the first major Canadian auto retailer to replace branded advertising with a campaign thanking front-line workers. Environics Research noted the effort in its “Advertising During a Crisis” study as the gold standard for early pandemic messaging. But, as it became clear the pandemic would be with us for a while, the need for a longer-term plan emerged.
Their challenge was to navigate Subaru through the most uncertain conditions the automotive category has ever experienced and emerge stronger on the other side.
The pandemic put plans on hold for marketers in every category, including automotive. Subaru could have followed suit and taken a cautious approach, focusing on minimizing losses until more favourable circumstances returned.
Instead, they saw an opportunity to step up, not back. Being active in a time when competitors would likely hesitate to invest could pay big dividends. This was especially true since most Canadian automotive companies pick up international creative, unlike Subaru, which creates Canada-specific work.
The strategy they recommended: Don’t wait for sentiment to return to normal to support the brand. Do take the opportunity to be seen as an organization confident in its offering to Canadian drivers and maintain visibility when competitors are hesitating.
In October 2020, the new Crosstrek campaign showcased the vehicle’s rambunctious capabilities through a mom and dad who talk about their Crosstreks as though they were their kids, intent on enjoying all that the great outdoors can offer. The construct showcases the vehicle’s capabilities and taps into COVID-induced desire to get outside. The campaign was teased across social media before launching nationally with TV, digital, OOH, radio, retail and other social initiatives.
January 2021 brought the Ascent “Fight for Space” campaign. The Ascent is the biggest Subaru ever and was perfectly timed for families who’d been living on top of each other for months and were feeling cramped. The television commercial is an ode to space, demonstrating the family peace that’s possible with adequate room. Out-of-home brought innovation to the medium: on posters in transit shelters, vehicle imagery visibly strains to fit inside the physical boundaries of each board, demonstrating spaciousness in a disruptive and convincing way. Radio and retail efforts added extra support.
The year has just been rounded out with the launch of the new Outback Wilderness, which reflects the made-to-be-outdoors spirit of the brand. The larger-than-life launch compared the vehicle to an animal being released into the wild, complete with a helicopter airlift into its natural habitat of rugged terrain. Television is supported by out-of-home, digital and social as well as experiential installations, in high-traffic areas, of mysterious cages that growl and shake to create impact and intrigue.
The “Made To Be a Subaru” campaign focused on Subaru’s industry accolades for safety, trust and resale value. This provided extra purchase reassurance – important for Canadians concerned about making major purchases during the pandemic. All this was bolstered by always-on social content and retail promotion.
Despite all the twists and turns on the road caused by COVID-19, Subaru has experienced astonishing growth over the last year. Highlights include a remarkable increase in total Subaru sales of 11,000 vehicles from June 2020 to May 2021 versus the same period a year earlier, an amazing lift considering all these sales were during the pandemic, for the first time in history, Subaru overtook Volkswagen in total number of vehicles sold in Canada, Subaru had its best month in its history in Canada in September 2020; it also had its best July, August, October and November ever in 2020; and March 2021 was its best March ever, Crosstrek was Subaru’s most successful launch ever, with more than 6,700 vehicles sold in the first three months of the campaign, 159.7% of the 4000-unit goal, an ascent post-launch sales from January to May were up 166% versus the year prior, the work and results have impressed Subaru’s headquarters in Japan, giving Canada special status as the brand's third biggest market globally in a very rewarding outcome on the global stage, and their Canadian creative has been picked up internationally as far away as New Zealand.
Overall, it’s been an incredible year of accolades for Subaru – their VP of marketing was named one of Strategy’s Marketers of the Year and Subaru was awarded the Best of Show at the 2020 Canadian Marketing Awards. The work has been highlighted around the world by trade press for its innovation and for being amongst the best work in the automotive category.