Branded Entertainment is starting to gain popularity in Germany due to its capability of reaching the customer on a subliminal emotional level. Nevertheless, the concept is still in its infancy, since it was only fully allowed beginning from 2010. Nowadays, Branded Entertainment is still an exception and not a tool which is generally used in Germany. One of the main reasons are the legal restrictions, such as the inclusion of an obligatory disclaimer.

To spread this game to a wide audience and make people curious to take part in the test drive event, we debuted smart DJ as branded entertainment content on German prime-time TV. As a suitable platform we chose “Schlag den Raab” - one of Germany’s most prominent game shows, because it combines competitive and playful elements, just like smart DJ does. Supported by the buzz that followed, smart DJ started its tour with test drive events throughout Germany, where our target audience could experience smart ed’s driving pleasure firsthand.

smart DJ was a success. The 16 minutes in which smart DJ aired represented the highest viewing rate during the entire episode of “Schlag den Raab”. It reached 2,6 MM viewers, a viewing rate of over 21 % and a media value of 1,4 MM EUR. This created a lot of attention in the media, word of mouth online and helped increase sales by 10 times compared to the month before. The buzz of smart DJ led to many excited participants at the test drive events that followed and gave everyone the chance to experience the smart ed’s driving pleasure firsthand.