Marketing has taken on many forms throughout its rich history. The “eccentricities” of Saabs were emphasized rather than masked, in the slew of print, and later, video, advertising campaigns that were mounted in the U.S. market, where the odd-looking Saab first went on sale in the 1960s.
“Special” (SAAB) buyers, also requested appropriate “special” advertising campaigns. One such “special” Ad campaign for the Saab company was designed and implemented by the Lowe Brindfors agency from Stockholm.
At that time, The new Saab 9-5 with its upgraded design was launched at the end of 2005. The challenge was to make an outdated but upgraded model look new and exciting by using installations as a complement to traditional media channels. The new aluminium-fitted headlamps together with the BioPower engine, which runs on environmentally friendly bioethanol and also provides more power, create a true Scandinavian predator – the new Saab 9-5. The car was placed in its own enclosure at Skansen zoo in Stockholm, a national park which attracts thousands of tourists and families every day.
The exhibition took place during the “predator weeks”, which brought extra focus to the area where the car was placed. The car was placed on a hydraulic system to make it move every now and then. Even the information sign looked the same as for the “real” predators.
It gave the target audience a chance to interact on their terms with the brand. On the sign by the installation, the viewer could find the URL address to a Microsite which looked very similar to the installation, so the experience could be continued online.
The event was a success and generated a lot of media attention. Also, in the months after the launch of the car the company’s sales were the best ever in Saab’s history. In Sweden, the BioPower model accounted for over 80% of new Saab 9-5 cars sold, and is now the most sold environmentally friendly car in the country.
