Audi’s global slogan is “Vorsprung durch technik” – “progress through technology.” The idea is much more than a brand statement. It represents the philosophy of a company that’s constantly searching for technologies that will move the car industry forward.

The objective of this campaign was to make our audience aware of a suite of technologies available in a number of different expanded levels in most of the larger Audi model series: Audi Pre-Sense®.

Audi Pre-Sense® is a predictive safety system that foresees danger on the road and takes the necessary steps to protect drivers and passengers. But how to show that Audi’s cars can predict the future?

That’s where the Road Tarot came in.

Audi’s technology for preventing future accidents is so remarkable that it seems almost supernatural. To communicate that to the target in a playful, engrossing way, we created the Audi Road Tarot. A special deck of 35 different hand-drawn cards. Each represents a threat that can be avoided with Audi Pre-Sense®: Hipster on Scooter, Stray Horse, Distracted Old Lady, Thick Fog, Tired-out Trucker, The Sleep, and many more.

The Road Tarot decks were sent to potential clients and tastemakers and the cards became posters, which were displayed at Audi dealerships. The posters included detachable cards, and clients could take them home and create their own deck.

The material was silk-screened onto special heavy paper in order to lend the cards texture and weight.

The cards also became Stories on Audi’s Instagram profile.

Audi’s target is extremely demanding. These are people with high standards and significant cultural baggage, and they value art and design like few others. That’s why it made sense to invest in approaches that would put a premium on craft, for a genuinely beautiful and conceptually engaging result. That’s why the Road Tarot was a huge hit with everyone in the orbit of the Audi universe, be they automotive journalists, digital influencers, or the potential clients selected via the brand’s CRM work.

After receiving the Road Tarot decks, 31% of the targeted audience went to Audi dealerships for a test drive, looking for cars with the Audi Pre-Sense® feature. Supernatural? Maybe. We think it might just be the result of a precisely targeted, and highly crafted design campaign.