Most Porsche owners buy into the brand because they want an authentic race car that’s built for the road. Deep down, Porsche owners are real drivers – or at least they aspire to be. And they know that serious automotive hardware demands a serious driver.

To put a Porsche through its paces, and really see what it can do, demands a certain level of skill.

So if you want to drive a Porsche – any Porsche – you’re going to need more than just an ordinary driver’s licence.

Our idea: Licence to Thrill.

Earning this ‘special licence’ wouldn’t be easy. But we knew our target audience was highly competitive by nature. Moreover, it would serve as a badge of honour and a unique endorsement by one of the most iconic automotive brands.

The recruitment phase ran for two months (June – July 2017). During this period, our launch films showed off the unique dynamics of the different models, while offering participants a glimpse of the challenges to come.

Viewers who proceeded to the online Theory Test were drilled on their knowledge of Porsche racing history, design, technology and more. This allowed us to filter down to a shortlist of hardcore fans who could really go the distance.

28 top scorers were then brought to the ultimate testing ground – Malaysia’s Formula 1 racetrack, the Sepang International Circuit – to take part in our final event.

On the day, professional drivers guided the ‘students’ through a series of unique and exhilarating challenges. Those who made the grade were issued with a coveted Porsche Licence to Thrill, with the top performer also being crowned Porsche Asia Pacific Driver of the Year.

Our online films garnered 6.8 million views, as well as 330,000 reactions, comments and shares on Facebook. This translated into a cost-per-view of just SGD$0.01 (20x lower than industry benchmarks).

In addition, extensive media coverage generated PR valued at SGD$900,000 (USD$680,000), with a total reach of 50 million.

The microsite received 12,317 visitors, with the highest web traffic coming from those aged 25-44, fulfilling our goal of connecting with a younger demographic. In total, 3,706 people completed the Theory Test, with an average website dwell time of 11 minutes.

The finalists were also highly impressed with the event itself: 92% of the participants felt that the event exceeded their expectations.

This project started out as a limited tactical brief. We took the opportunity to elevate it into a wide-ranging strategic campaign, hinging on our hero on-ground experience.

For a brand like Porsche, the product itself is the ultimate sales tool. But an ordinary test drive is never enough. You’ll never feel what the car is truly capable of on narrow city streets. To really see what it can do, you have to drive it in its natural habitat: on the racetrack.

For many auto fans, this would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience… and that’s exactly what we gave them.

Our target audience included owners of Porsche models, as well as competitor brands, and auto fans at large.

In the initial recruitment phase, we needed to connect with a broad and diverse audience, across 12 markets, and get them excited about the programme. The most efficient and impactful way of doing that? Via digital channels.

Our media strategy centered on the effective targeting of car enthusiasts and C-suite executives, while leveraging the strength of our owned content platforms.

The campaign consisted of a recruitment phase, a selection phase, and the final event.

During recruitment, three online films – propagated via social media channels – created awareness and drove participation. These films led viewers to a purpose-built microsite, where they could take an online Theory Test. The top scorers were then selected for the final on-ground event – the Practical Test.

Porsche is a brand that needs little introduction. It’s a motorsport icon, which builds sports cars – and nothing else. Racing is encoded into the DNA of every model, from the 911 to the Cayenne Turbo.

However, in Asia, Porsche is perceived primarily as a luxury marque – coveted for its status and prestige. Yet this masks the car’s true nature. It shouldn’t be locked away in a garage. It yearns to be ‘unleashed’.

To prove this – and to re-ignite the brand image – Porsche brought its Porsche Driving Experience (PDE) to Asia for the first time. Our brief was to recruit participants for the event, while at the same time reaching out to a new, younger audience, and acquiring long-term sales leads.

Our target audience was scattered across 12 different markets – Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Mongolia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore.