In the UK, Shell has almost 1,000 service stations nationwide. The Shell Drivers’ Club card is their ongoing customer loyalty scheme. When card holders buy fuel and swipe their cards, they’re rewarded with Avios, which they trade in for free holidays.

Shell’s problem was that many customers had no idea that the Shell Drivers’ Club card even existed, let alone that they could accrue rewards with every tank of petrol. We had to introduce the scheme, and its benefits, to motorists on UK Shell forecourts – and convince them to pick up and register a card.

We used the existing design of the card itself to create a series of bold, iconic images that showed motorists just how far a tank of petrol could take them.

The card’s red swoosh became a plane, a gondola, a palm tree, a deck chair, even the Eiffel Tower, telling customers quickly that filling their car could lead to flying the world. We placed these playful images at every touch point of a Shell customer’s journey, from the roadside to the counter top. Our campaign demonstrated how simple, classic design can create effective cut-through amongst a very difficult to reach audience.

This elegant design idea has resulted in dramatic returns for Shell. In just a few weeks, 150,000 people registered for a Shell Drivers Club card – an unprecedented 300% lift in card uptake – making it one of Shell UK’s most successful loyalty campaigns ever. What’s more, consumers’ relationship with Shell is deepened with every Avios they collect, encouraging return traffic long after the promotion leaves the forecourt.