We’re Geely.

Who?

A Chinese automaker and affordable luxury brand, new in the UAE market.

We were launching our peak-level SUV.

The Geely Monjaro.

(Try saying it quickly – Get it?)

But we had a MOUNTAIN of obstacles.

As a newcomer to a hyper-competitive car segment with a name no one knew, we were facing skepticism.

In the car world, legacy and established origins drive familiarity and trust. People buy what they know.

Not only that.

Prejudice related to our Chinese roots brought up negative assumptions about quality and reliability.

The ‘Made in China’ syndrome.

We dubbed our core challenge: the badge bias.

No matter how objectively good the performance and quality are, preconceived biases were an instant mood-kill.

Our objectives?

Establishing our brand, driving up 1) website traffic, 2) prospects, 3) test drive bookings and 4) overall sales.

An uphill climb we were ready for.

How to overcome the bias?

The answer was simple.

We needed for people to experience the car, before they even knew its name.

So we revealed luxury, beyond the badge.

We showed off the car, and took out the badge. AND the bias.

Doing what no other brand dared, we built the first FULLY UNBRANDED brand experience.

A nameless car.

That just makes a name for itself.

We started with a pop-up space at one of the UAE's most high-footfall malls.

And un-branded the car. Literally.

Stripped every last logo, inside and out.

We invited people to experience the design, craftsmanship, and features. All without the influence of preconceived biases.

And asked them to scribble their best guesses of the car brand, directly onto the car.

THE PROBLEM: THE BADGE BIAS

We knew top of mind brand names mattered.

We were the complete stranger in a hyper-competitive segment, where prejudice against Chinese cars prevailed.

Will this underdog car let me down?

Will it make me look uncool?

THE INSIGHT: A KEEN EYE FOR AUTHENTIC QUALITY

UAE ‘affordable luxury’ seekers sought to reflect aspirational status through an imposing high ride.

Established brands capitalized on this aspiration, but in the economy D-SUV segment, consumers could discern that products were not as sophisticated as glamorous advertising would have them believe.

Our UAE buyers know quality when they see it.

So, we turned that to our advantage.

THE STRATEGY: LUXURY BEYOND THE BADGE

The Monjaro’s quality and luxury spoke for itself.

We simply needed an experience that nudges people to see it without bias.

AN UNBRANDED BRAND EXPERIENCE

“Guess who I am”.

While other brands tried to inscribe their names into people’s lives, we removed ours.

Diverging from conventional automotive launch strategies, we curated a compelling on-ground experience at a bustling UAE mall, inviting people to explore quality and luxury beyond the badge.

On-ground: Gamifying the discovery experience, visitors guessed our car’s brand and inscribed it on the vehicle. Special prizes and an interactive content creation booth enhanced engagement.

Online: Expanding the experience digitally, we leveraged participatory social content, driving more footfall.

Amplifying the Monjaro’s big reveal via paid media and strategic OOH placements, we invited sign-ups for test drives and inquiries.

SPONTANEOUS SOCIAL BUZZ

The on-ground excitement drew content creators sparking impromptu coverage, complemented by organic engagement on our owned social and UGC – resulting in social engagements, search queries and website traffic helping us win the discovery challenge.

Our objectives were to drive up 1) website traffic, 2) prospects, 3) test drive bookings and 4) overall sales.

The experience generated significant buzz, amplified by footfall, an online paid strategy and organic coverage and shares.

5) Website traffic went up +1288%: during the month following the activation, website visits exploded by nearly13x the average from previous months.

6) Lead generation rose by +69%: the total number of inquiries from prospective buyers surged in the month following the activation.

7) Test drive bookings increased by 140%

8) Overall sales growth of the Monjaro went up by +54% over the 2-months campaign period.