Maverick turned mainstream

smart was launched as a revolution in city mobility in 1998. With only 2,69m and the smallest turning circle it was the ultimate city car. In its 17 years smart has seen two new models and facelifts. The communication was focussed on highlighting improved features. The consequence: in two decades smart had shifted from a disruptive pioneer to a functional city car. In 2013 smart faced a dramatic sales decrease. The key drivers:

1. Demand for new cars had been satisfied by a governmental incentive in previous years

2. With car sharing solutions, strong competitors were on the rise

3. The new smart out in 2014 had already been officially announced

4. VW Group had made a strong push into the micro-car-segment

Engaging with the next generation

The goal was to give Generation Y a reason to engage with the ultimate city car and choose it as their solution for urban mobility.

Activating the inner rebel

Generation Y is characterized by questioning the status quo and shaping the future.

They are accustomed to smart as a functional city car. That’s not the true nature of smart. It was launched as a disruptive challenger.

The mind-set match of questioning the unquestioned between Generation Y and the core of the smart brand was our creative springboard. We wanted to re-invigorate the pioneering spirit of smart and activate our Audience’s inner rebel.

David vs. Goliath

We advertised smart by telling the David vs. Goliath-story of the ultimate city car. The campaign theme: smart - as good off-road as an off-roader in the city.

On an executional level we disrupted an automotive industry taboo: Dramatizing the car’s weaknesses. This content strategy was at first brought to life via the ‘Offroad’ TVC. The digital and tactical amplification was then realised at every relevant touchpoint along the path to purchase.

Buzz & Boost

The smart David vs. Goliath story opened minds and activated Gen Y’s inner rebels. The result: a social media hype in Germany boosting smart’s social media reach and recruiting more facebook-fans than ever before. More importantly the campaign also managed opened wallets. The dramatic downward sales trend was reversed into a sales increase, exceeding segment performance and outperforming key competitors. The success demonstrates: People engage around purpose not a product and brand story-telling can bring that across in a value-generating way.