Chevrolet’s brand mantra is Find New Roads, and we wanted journalist to ‘find’ theirs across 48 states. We set out to create an experience in which journalists spend so much time in the car – on their terms – that they became more than a reviewer: They adopted a sense of ownership.

With understanding that “the greater the amount of control a person can exercise over certain objects, the more they will be psychologically experienced as part of the self” (J. Pierce 2003), we developed The Chevrolet Find New Roads Trip – the largest and most ambitious product launch of its kind. Featuring 20 Camaros and 300 media guests embarking on a 48-state road trip over 171,252 miles, we aligned with Camaro’s 48th birthday and delivered the new car to Camaro clubs, dealers, influencers and consumers across the U.S. It began in Detroit and culminated at the LA Auto Show.

In just eight weeks, we:

*Implemented the Find New Roads Trip--16 media drive waves (eight heading west and eight heading east)

*Developed a microsite for media to easily access materials

*Created customized/stylized Guide Book for each participant with 120 Points of Innovation pit stops, selected for contribution to design, technology or innovation,

*To encourage engagement, we created a contest: The first journalist to check into a pre-selected Point of Innovation on social media using #FindNewRoads won tickets to a special, Chevy-sponsored event (CMA Awards, Indy 500, World Series, etc.).

*Supported consumer and dealer parties in 16 cities. At each, we invited local media, consumers and Camaro enthusiasts to see and learn more about the car. Camaro clubs were invited to bring their fist through fifth-generation Camaros.

*Developed OnStar-driven tracking animation and promotional items to keep interest/stories alive

*Developed real-time "Reports from the Road" to help executives track along.

By providing media with near-total control of their driving experience, including route, hotel, and restaurants, media perceived the 2016 Camaro and Find New Roads Trip as their unique experience, resulting in overwhelmingly positive coverage/vehicles reviews.

OUTCOMES/AWARENESS

*The brand's net momentum (direction consumers' feel the brand is going) increased steadily by 21% during the campaign

*Nearly 60% of coverage was from publications that don’t usually follow the auto industry

KNOWLEDGE/CONSIDERATION

*100% of the coverage was positive/neutral in sentiment

*Media covered the novel launch itself--

"2016 Camaro Breaks the Rules on How to Launch a Performance Car:"

"It's funny how a road trip can foster an immediate attachment to a car"

OUTPUTS/BUSINESS RESULTS

*Greatest coverage of any Camaro launch--296 distinct earned media stories in one month, reaching an estimated 6.4 million people

*80,000+ social media engagements and 44.9M potential earned social impressions in a single month

*4,000 Camaro enthusiasts engaged at events

The Chevrolet Camaro Find New Roads program reinvented the traditional media drive launch program. Instead of giving journalists a prescribed drive route, the program allowed journalists to build a deeper relationship with the vehicle by selecting their own path across America, aided by Camaro’s new technologies and a guide book of 120 suggested ‘points of innovation’ pit stops. Participants drove 171,252-miles across 48 states, without a single call for roadside assistance.

The media launch was one of the most successful ever in the brand’s history. 100% of coverage was neutral to positive; nearly 60% of coverage was from lifestyle media.

AUDIENCE: Camaro enthusiasts, car clubs, dealers, media

MEDIA: We targeted journalists to look beyond horsepower/torque and fit this vehicle comfortably and personally within a contemporary lifestyle.

APPROACH: The Chevrolet Find New Roads Trip challenged journalists to explore the highways and back roads in the new Camaro. Unlike conventional drive programs, they simply received the keys and the final destination. How they got there was up to them. But we were confident that feelings of ownership would afford journalists a socially sharable, “exclusive” experience.

PLANNING: By encouraging media to post photos/commentary from the trip using the hashtag #FindNewRoads across social media, they would be taking part in what G. McCracken (1986) called a possession ritual of showing off and personalizing possessions. To amp up excitement, we invited car clubs, local media and enthusiasts to join the celebration at pit stop parties along the way, mostly at dealerships.

Enter the sixth generation of the iconic Chevrolet Camaro! With advanced technologies--4G LTE wireless connectivity, wireless phone charging capability, Apple Car Play/Android Auto and new safety features--the 2016 Camaro reminds us why she’s America’s car; filled with innovative technologies and an “anything is possible” attitude. Chevrolet asked us to discard the conventional launch playbook to create/implement a program as innovative and fresh as the Camaro itself.

The primary objectives:

Position Camaro as an innovative new entry for the segment, breaking from the mold of “pony car” to a car that embodies the spirit and freedom of the open road.

Elicit coverage that went beyond the nuts and bolts of the car to discussing the total experience.

Elicit non-automotive coverage.

Elicit local market coverage about the program and the brand.

Engage fans to follow online and meet the Find New Roads Trip at tour stops along the way.