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Marketing Featured Southeast Asia

Audi SG’s Audi on demand unveils new initiative, AOD advantage

Singapore — The Singaporean arm of automobile manufacturer Audi has unveiled that their premium mobility concept, Audi on demand, has announced its latest initiative – AOD advantage. This new initiative is Audi on demand’s solution to monthly car bookings and offers exclusive savings advantages when cars are rented for longer periods of time.

With AOD advantage, customers can choose their preferred Audi models for periods longer than one month, accompanied by greater convenience and significant cost savings. AOD advantage keeps salient features from the Audi on demand concepts, namely the seamless online interface and complimentary concierge services – and adds to this with affordable, long-term car bookings.

On the Audi on demand website, customers can access the AOD advantage section and select a car, rental dates, as well as delivery and retrieval locations according to preference. AOD advantage rates come inclusive of insurance, regular servicing and maintenance, as well as 24-hour roadside assistance. Longer-term rentals also feature periodic checks on car mileage, with complimentary car pick-ups and replacements as and when servicing is required.

Markus Schuster, managing director of Audi Singapore, said, “Since its launch in 2018, Audi on demand has been well received in Singapore, offering the latest Audi models for our fans and customers here to experience our cars on their own terms. We are excited for the launch of AOD advantage, which will provide our customers with more flexibility and options to immerse themselves in the Audi experience of premium mobility.”

The longer rental periods offered by AOD advantage allow customers to test a variety of Audi vehicles across an extended period of time as the previous offer only lasted 28 days. The exclusive Audi service also allows additional authorised drivers to participate in the promotion as long as the driver is over the age of 23, has a valid Singapore driving license and has at least two years of driving experience.

Those who have an interest in Audi’s new AOD advantage initiative can schedule a booking or learn more about it at Audi Singapore’s website (sg.audiondemand.com.sg/Vehicle/AODAdvantage).

Last February, Audi Singapore also announced the appointment of Jasmine Toh as public relations manager.

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Marketing Featured Southeast Asia

Audi SG taps Jasmine Toh as new PR manager

Singapore – The Singaporean arm of automobile manufacturer Audi has announced the appointment of Jasmine Toh as its new public relations manager. Toh, who brings with her close to eight years of experience in the automotive and luxury spaces, will be in charge of managing Audi’s overall public relations and media engagement activities in Singapore. 

Toh holds extensive expertise and experience in the industry as she previously held key roles at Aston Martin Singapore. Her experience spanned almost 6 years in the company and held several positions namely marketing executive, senior marketing executive, assistant marketing manager, and marketing manager. Most recently, she held the position of marketing manager for Aston Martin, where she developed marketing strategies to sustain and expand brand awareness, conceptualised and executed new product launches, and managed press relations prior to joining Audi Singapore. 

Toh also held the position of marketing communications executive in Cortina Watch, a watch distributor and luxury brand based in Singapore, handling multiple key events for the company. She spearheaded events for several high-value clients namely Tudor, Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Bell and Ross, and Patek Philippe. 

Audi said in a press statement that they believe that with her experience and a strong understanding of local cultural nuances, Toh will be a valuable addition to support the company’s growth in Singapore.

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Marketing Featured ANZ

Ex-Toyota AU CMO John Pappas appointed as Lexus AU’s chief executive

Sydney, Australia – John Pappas, formerly the chief marketing officer at Toyota Australia, has been appointed as the new chief executive at Lexus Australia, Toyota’s luxury vehicle division. He brings in to the company 25 years of automotive experience, including in a variety of senior international, national and regional roles.

Speaking about his appointment, Pappas said, “I am really excited to build on the strong momentum for Lexus, supported by stunning new models including our first all-electric vehicle, UX 300e, the upcoming all-new NX range and the next-generation flagship LX SUV.”

He has completed assignments in national sales, regional operations, parts supply and logistics, before spending two years at the group’s Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore.

During his stint at Toyota Australia over the past five years, he has applied his industry insights, business acumen and strategic thinking to leadership of the sales and then the marketing divisions.

He will be succeeding Scott Thompson, who joins mobility services brand KINTO in Europe as vice president operations for business development and technology.

Toyota Motor Corporation Australia President and CEO Matthew Callachor said Thompson’s four years at the helm of Lexus Australia had been characterised by an unrelenting focus on the total ownership experience.

“Scott’s passion for Lexus to have a deep understanding of the needs and lifestyles of our customers has resulted in the introduction of our top-tier owner-benefits program, Lexus Encore Platinum,” Callachor said.

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Marketing Featured APAC

Porsche’s anniv ad celebrates those who dare to chase their dreams

Singapore – Global luxury car brand Porsche has just released its latest film that both celebrates the brand’s 20 years of existence in the Asia-Pacific market, and a tribute to those that keep on chasing their dreams towards reality.

Directed by Singaporean filmmaker Roslee Yusof, the story follows the journey of two childhood friends pursuing their passions that are at odds with typical notions of ‘success’. Along the way, the protagonists face pressure from convention, fear of failure and personal challenges – but in the end, rise above and achieve fulfilment on their own terms. 

Said film echoes the words from founder Perry Porscho, who states that ‘In the beginning, I looked around and could not find quite the car I dreamed of, so I decided to build it myself’, hence the brand goes by the tagline of ‘Driven by Dreams’. Furthermore, the company translates this ‘chasing dreams’ theme in a regional context. 

Speaking about the campaign, Yannick Ott, marketing director at Porsche Asia Pacific, said that the film celebrates the dreams that drive all of us, the spirit of staying true to oneself, while venturing forward in a world where expectations of gender, culture and success can pull one in many different directions.

“We have seen exceptional growth in this part of the world; inspired by the creative force of a youthful population and their personal aspirations, we expect that this region will enjoy one of the most exciting prospects for the years ahead. Against this backdrop, want to reinforce the message that the future is in the hands of those who follow their dreams,” Ott stated.

In relation to the ad release, Porsche also announced last week a long-term partnership with non-profit organization United Women Singapore (UWS), supporting their Girls2Pioneers program. Said program reaches out to girls from underserved communities, aged 10-16, to encourage them to pursue their passions in higher education and careers, thus paving the way for a more gender-equal society.

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Marketing Featured Southeast Asia

Audi SG’s latest premiere of e-tron GT puts SG’s sights and lines in focus

Singapore – Marking it as one of the global automotive brand’s biggest production for Singapore, Audi has recently launched the online premiere of their latest car model, the Audi e-tron GT, which puts a spotlight on Singapore’s well-known sights and lines such as the Gardens by the Bay and The Interlace building complex.

The premiere, made by creative agency BBDO Singapore and produced by film production house electriclimefilms, was directed by local director Juffrie Friday, and displayed some of the great feats of architecture around the country, as the team was given a rare opportunity to unleash the performance of the car as well as its beauty and futuristic design. The film demonstrated Audi’s vision for the future and marks a new era of electric mobility.

The film result is a combination of a 60-second campaign film alongside an on-stage experience, featuring local and international guests, including the experts who were part of the car’s development.

Audi e-tron GT is the brand’s flagship electric model, and it embodies the progressive attitude and demonstrates a new level of performance and driving experience that endears fans of the brand.

For Rudi Venter, head of marketing at Audi Singapore, their latest car model is their ‘brand shaper’, adding that it is important that they go beyond presenting the product to Singapore, and that this car is a crucial building block of their ambitions for the future, where they will play a leading role in shaping the transformation as current society heads into a new age of mobility.

“We want every aspect of the online premiere to be a reflection of our brand, both as a leading global premium car brand and as a proud and active stakeholder in Singapore. We believe that the concept and execution of this project set even higher expectations from consumers as they look forward to even more exciting developments from the Audi brand,” Venter said.

Meanwhile, Guan Hin Tay, chief creative officer at BBDO Singapore, commented that their latest work with Audi Singapore coincides with the fact that they felt ecstatic when they won the creative mandate for the automotive brand this year.

“To help launch Audi’s first fully electric sports car: The Audi e-tron GT is something BBDO is extremely privileged and excited about as it allows us to showcase how we were able to find a balance between using global content and creating local content that will appeal to our potential customers. All the footage was shot and edited to evoke excitement and local storytellers were selected to complement the unique features of the electric vehicle,” Tay added.

Lastly, Dora Claire David, senior producer at electriclimefilms, commented, “It was beyond a privilege being provided the opportunity to work hand in hand with the team at Audi Singapore and BBDO Singapore. From the get-go, the message was clear – it had to visually evoke Audi’s future vision for electric mobility. Every shot was thought out carefully, and all teams were hands-on through the creative process.”

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Marketing Featured Southeast Asia

BBDO Singapore clinches Audi SG’s account for 3-year remit

Singapore – The Singapore arm of advertising agency BBDO has announced that it has recently won the account of global automotive brand Audi in Singapore, with the remit to last for three years.

The pitch lasted for two rounds that consisted of multi-agency competitive and high-performance pitches. BBDO Singapore was named the winner after presenting its strategic solutions in the final round and was merited for aligning local work to the global strategy while remaining relevant to the local audience.

Rudi Venter, head of marketing at Audi Singapore commented, “We look forward to our new partnership with BBDO Singapore. The Audi brand is one of the leading premium car brands in the world. We have been making big progress in growing our stature here and along with BBDO we are convinced we have what it takes to accelerate our positive brand momentum in Singapore.”

BBDO Singapore has also won previously the account of cloud technology company Xtremax last April, where they vowed to help the company in its branding duties.

“Audi is one of the most desirable brands in Singapore and most certainly an account that agencies would be honored to work with. The BBDO Team can’t express how excited we are to be chosen by Audi to be their Advertising Agency of Record and we look forward to embarking on this journey with Audi for the next few years,” said Monica Hynds, general manager at BBDO Singapore.

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Marketing Featured Global

Accenture, Spark44 join forces to lead Jaguar Land Rover’s global marketing duties

London, United Kingdom – British multinational automotive brand Jaguar Land Rover has appointed global consulting company Accenture and customer experience company Spark44 to lead its global marketing duties, paving the way to create a new bespoke model.

The appointment will center around development of connected services that will create new experiences, new levels of intimacy and an enhanced ownership experience for customers.

In addition, the combined capabilities of Accenture and Spark44 will bring together a global brand creative with multi-platform, digital-first, personalized customer experiences, enhancing the purchasing and ownership experience and providing a more precise approach across all brand touchpoints.

Felix Bräutigam, chief commercial officer of Jaguar Land Rover, said that at the heart of their ‘Reimagine Strategy’ is to transform the Jaguar Land Rover into a truly customer led modern luxury business. Hence, having a highly engaging, personalized, connected customer journey is essential to further strengthening both Jaguar and Land Rover as unique and distinct brands.

“Customers expect a seamless interaction with their brand and car, their experience must fit into their lifestyle and the move towards an all-electric future. We will also see more varied ownership models and connected cars that are designed to fit with our individual ways of living. All of which requires a significant step change in our marketing approach, how we talk to our prospects and customers,” he said.

Bräutigam added, “I am confident that this will bring creative excellence alongside digital brilliance while delivering even more amazing Jaguar and Land Rover specific brand experiences.”

Meanwhile, Brian Whipple, group chief executive of Accenture, commented “Jaguar Land Rover has always been upheld as a pioneer within the automotive industry. We’re proud to team with these iconic brands as Jaguar Land Rover boldly transforms its business, marketing model and creates a reimagined experience for its customers.”

Founded in 2011, Spark44 has previously worked with Jaguar Land Rover across the global breadth and depth of brand communications, delivering award-winning creative and marketing effectiveness across end-to-end customer communications. 

As part of the new approach, Accenture will leverage Spark44’s unique knowledge of the brands and customer touchpoints with its consultancy, marketing services and automation capabilities.

Alex Buck, chief executive officer of Spark44, said, “We’re delighted that Spark44 continues to be part of transforming Jaguar Land Rover’s marketing model. For the last decade, Jaguar Land Rover and Spark44 have worked together to achieve strong growth and now we will be taking this to the next level by joining forces with Accenture.”

He added, “The future of brand communication lies in fusing together the rich online and offline data sources to provide seamless end-to-end customer experiences. Having a single customer view across all channels, globally, will enable us to deliver the personalized, connected experiences expected of both the Jaguar and Land Rover brands.”

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Marketing Featured ANZ

MINI pokes on braking safety with latest ad for new smart features

Auckland, New Zealand – Automotive brand MINI, as part of their promotion of its car features, has recently collaborated with creative agency Colenso BBDO to launch a new campaign, centered around the hazards in improper braking.

Titled ‘Danger Brakes for You’, the campaign features an array of four pictures: a hoof, a paw, a child’s foot and someone wearing roller skates, all representing potential hazards on the road that can trigger the driver to apply the brakes.

MINI aims that through this campaign, they will be able to promote their growing suite of smart features, starting with automatic emergency brake assist – a feature that senses obstacles on the road in front of the car and automatically applies the car’s braking system. 

For Victoria Abbass, retail and network marketing manager at MINI, part of the reason why they also took the ‘quirky’ turn for their campaign was to ‘humanize’; how technology is being explained, as cars nowadays are getting more advanced.

“’Danger brakes for you’ is visually disruptive and intriguing, but ultimately it’s so simple and that’s what we love about it,” Abbass said.

Meanwhile, Simon Vicars, executive creative director at Colenso BBDO, commented, “We were searching for a quick and simple way to explain complicated tech. This idea felt fast and funny, which for us are the right two ingredients for making a memorable MINI campaign.”

Photographed by New Zealand photographer Mat Baker, the campaign will roll out across social media channels, as well as in print and OOH media.

Colenso BBDO’s recent campaign with MINI follows their recent work with the New Zealand arm of non-profit organization World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

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Marketing Featured ANZ

Suzuki AU’s new campaign demonstrates fun in ‘any number of wheels’

Sydney, Australia – The Australian arm of automotive maker Suzuki has recently launched a new campaign that demonstrates a ‘fun’ approach to vehicles, regardless of how many wheels a vehicle has.

The campaign, rolled under its campaign series ‘For Fun’s Sake’, shows a man riding a mini Suzuki car as if he is riding a motorcycle. The campaign’s narration focuses on how ‘doubling’ the wheels adds more fun to one’s journey, which embodies the message of the ‘For Fun’s Sake’ tagline.

“The least fun thing you can do is to repeat yourself, so it’s great that we have a brand platform that really lets us change things up and keep our creative fresh, because the least fun thing you can do is to repeat yourself,” said Michael Pachota, general manager at Suzuki.

The campaign, created by Deloitte Digital, the creative digital consultancy arm of consulting firm Deloitte, was launched in retrospect with Suzuki leading the Australian light vehicle segment sales, reporting a 30% increase in total vehicle sales year-on-year.

Charles Baylis, executive creative director at Deloitte Digital stated, “When it comes to having fun on the road, we realized the only thing that comes close to a Suzuki, is a motorbike. And even then, it’s only half as fun. Mathematically speaking.” 

The campaign has been rolled out across out-of-home (OOH) platforms, radio, digital ads, as well as across social media channels.

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Technology Featured ANZ

Adtech Cartelux pilots new marketing solution with Kia Australia

Sydney, Australia – Australian-based adtech company Cartelux has launched its centralized marketing solution, and it has decided to pilot it to the Australian arm of global automotive brand Kia, specifically in its dealer’s network.

Through the solution, Cartelux’s technology will assist Kia in driving local innovation by simplifying and automating ad creation, approval, and media buying process. This then enables dynamic personalization of creative assets by each dealer, while delivering a consistent brand campaign for Kia. 

For Nikolas Souliotis, digital marketing manager at Kia Australia, their partnership with Cartelux means achieving success in the digital age between the brand itself and its numerous dealers nationwide.

“The Cartelux platform offers an entirely new playground allowing better marketing alignment across national and local tiers through scalable video and data consolidation. This enables us to see consumers through the same lens and drive better results and greater efficiencies – it’s the future of performance-driven retail marketing,” Souliotis said.

Meanwhile, Randy Han, global lead for Kia at Google noted that Kia’s partnership with Cartelux means creating more engaging video content for the automotive brand, as Kia has been looking for simple ways to create dealer ad content at scale.

Patrick Doble, global general manager at Cartelux, commented, “Kia is one of the world’s most innovative and fastest growing brands. The program for Kia will commence with providing digital video advertising, which geo-targets campaigns based on the dealers primary marketing area.”