It was found by tapping into the powerful nostalgic emotions surrounding the Choose Your Own Adventures series of books (which were at the peak of their popularity when our target audience was in its youth). This was translated as an interactive online game, featuring different stories to demonstrate the versatility of the car. At each turn in the action-packed story the player, quite literally, decides upon the direction of the adventure for the hero and his/her SportWagon.

We demonstrated the 9-3 SportWagon's endless capabilities by tapping into the powerful and nostalgic emotions surrounding “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, an extremely popular series when our target audience was young. At each turn in the action-packed story, the reader decides the direction of the adventure for the hero and his SportWagon. Mailed in a suitably understated, but tempting, cardboard wraparound, the piece engaged, gripped, and subliminally highlighted the countless benefits of the car. And the story? Well, we won’t spoil the ending for you.

The direct mail piece alone saw a staggering 40% response rate among our hottest pool of customers and prospects—30-45 year-olds just starting their families. In addition to tapping into its prime target audience, "The Race Against Time" effort succeeded in reactivating more than 500 customers who had not responded to Saab since the 1990s.