2019 Silver Best Launch Campaign

Agency: Unit9

Client: Bentley Motors

Campaign Name: EXP100GT: The future of extraordinary journeys

Campaign Overview

Bentley has become known for luxurious, powerful cars.

It wanted to engage the customers of tomorrow, typically not car fanatics, and dial up innovative, collaborative and sustainable conversation while remaining true to the brand's DNA.

Strategy

The customers of Bentley's future are not car fans today.

They care about mobility, green issues and connectedness, and covet experiences over possessions.

Unit9 placed user experience and collaboration at the heart of a concept car and brand vision, inviting established and emerging British contributors to join the project, eliciting discovery around innovation, sustainability and collaboration.

Non-automotive thought leaders were invited to experience The Future of Extraordinary Journeys, share their worlds and reach the customers of tomorrow through a series of experiential events at Bentley's home in Cheshire.

A digital content journey began with sign-ups for a multi-platform livestream and extended to shareable organic posts pointing to an interactive 360-degree campaign hub and an AR app.

Qualified prospects were invited to join he Bentley Network, a proprietary group for owners and prospects.

Reach was extended through media partnerships, digital display and search, and PR reached beyond automotive into lifestyle.

Creativity

The Future of Extraordinary Journeys was embodied within a concept car, the experience, and the interactive digital user journey.

Unit9 blended craft and technology to show how the EXP100GT captures and enhances air, earth and light, incorporating them to promote wellness, comfort and security.

To reach across automotive audiences, creative focused on the emotions tied to a journey's extraordinary moments in three phases.

The tease phase drew people into an eye through flowing particles reflecting natural environment and emotional connection.

At launch, the event and digital creative transformed to reveal interactive multi-sensory zones to discover the wellness-enhancing elements of the concept.

The digital user journey combined 360-degree interactivity and audio-visual atoms to engage and inspire.

To continue the conversation around sustainable materials, collaborative craftsmanship and innovative user experiences of the EXP100GT, Bentley partnered with tech, lifestyle and luxury media partners, designing an AR experience to engage users in 3D.

Results

The events got the right people talking, with numerous positive mentions from attending thought leaders such as UN ambassadors, positive luxury spokespeople, media moguls, sustainability explorers and pioneering entrepreneurs.

The resulting digital mentions spawned spontaneous sharing from desired audiences: leaders who self-identify with libertarian, philanthropic, sustainable and tech leadership and innovation.

EXP100GT mentions were 96.4% positive.

The majority were about the intended topics of innovation, collaboration and sustainability, and the campaign has moved the needle on global brand perception.

The Team

Niki McMorrough, Digital Content and Social Media Manager, Bentley Motors - Louise Burns, Head of Strategic Marketing Projects, Bentley Motors - Graeme Russell, Head of Brand Communications, Bentley Motors - Jenny Makin, Campaign Manager, Bentley Motors - Louise Lewis, Centenary Project Manager, Bentley Motors - Naveed Khan, Digital Product Owner, Web, Bentley Motors - Nicole Lowrey, Digital Content Coordinator, Bentley Motors - Fiona Hyde, Campaign Manager, Bentley Motors - Nicola Brown, Senior Campaign Manager, Bentley Motors - Harry Cooklin, Marketing Communications Manager, Bentley Motors - Sarah Lo Bosco, Brand & Luxury Research Manager, Bentley Motors - Wayne Bruce, Communications Director, Bentley Motors - Florian Spinoly, Director of Product & Marketing, Bentley Motors - Julia Marozzi, Head of Lifestyle Communications, Bentley Motors - Mike Sayer, Communications Manager - UK, Bentley Motors - Stephan Bischoff, Creative Director, Unit9 - Martino Butti, Executive Producer, Unit9 - Ben Fender, Experiential Executive Producer, Unit9 - Fabien Terrasse, Digital Executive Producer, Unit9 - Denis Astakhov, Event Director, Unit9 - Alex Horton, AR Director, Unit9 - Eleni Willmott, Experiential Producer, Unit9 - Neal Bryant, Digital Producer, Unit9 - Zlaten De Castillo, Content Producer, Unit9 - Karol Goreczny, Art Director, Unit9 - Raul Buisan, AR Tech Lead, Unit9 - Fabio Azevedo, Digital Tech Lead, Unit9 - Tariq Duff, Business Director, Unit9 - Ed Mellish, Company Director, Flux Broadcasting - Ben De Montagnac, Project Manager, Flux Broadcasting - Martin William-Neale, Stream Director, Flux Broadcasting - John Barraclough, Senior Engineer, Flux Broadcasting - Ivy Borda, Lead Engineer, Flux Broadcasting - James Haywood, Bentley Network App Manager, Bentley Motors - James Pillar, Head of Global Network Community, Bentley Motors - Matt Smith, Digital Strategy Manager, Bentley Motors

Contributors

Keko, Flux and PHD