The fourth quarter is the most important time in the Taiwan auto industry to drive sales, and in 2015 Mercedes-Benz tasked us with helping them achieve a 20% increase over the previous year by expanding their target audience. We already understood that the perception of SUVs in Taiwan was limited, that they’re vehicles for families, appealing primarily to desires for safety and comfort. The Taiwan market is also already brimming with stiff competition from the likes of BMW and Porsche, BMW having launched 4 new X-Series models the previous year, and Porsche having a die-hard following, affording them the luxury of comparatively lower media spending. Further, Quarter-four of 2015 was a particularly crowded season in Taiwan for media investment, the country dealing with a historic presidential election, the biggest auto show in Taipei (a bi-annual event), plus the annual shopping season kicking in, thus leading to a hyper-saturated market.

Timing was key for this medium-scale, 5-product campaign, tasking us with a 20% YOY sales boost.

On October 14th, 18:00 to 20:00, we held an intimate, outdoor launch party for press and VIPs in Taipei’s most elite district. Attendees saw firsthand each SUV model and numerous demos illustrating their value.

Our TV launch began at 19:00, simultaneously with our internet launch. Our 45 second spots ran on news stations, continuing for 3 weeks.

Utilizing Yahoo as our internet centerpiece, we consumed the Yahoo portal from 19:00 to 23:00. An industry first, we secured the top two advertising positions, creating a unified, interactive, creative element offering four videos telling every product story.

On October 15th, we disrupted headlines by running full, front page advertisements in The Liberty Times and The Apple Daily. Our paper ads were visually similar to our internet elements, employing striking graphics appearing to “drive off” the page.