Holden pushes Australian future in campaign using kids
Holden has launched a new campaign which sees the company focus on its credentials for building cars for Australia and introduces the tagline ‘Let’s go there’
The new campaign comes a year after the car maker announced it was shutting down its Australian production sites by 2017, costing thousands of jobs.
Created by AJF Partnership, the campaign is fronted by a child who talks viewers through the various “tests” the car goes through to ensure it is made for Australian conditions.
It is complemented with another ad which sees children talking through their designs for a future Holden Commodore.
Holden’s executive director of marketing Bill Mott said: “The new campaign has been developed from five core truths: Holden’s future is bright, there will be a next-generation Commodore, Holden understands Australian conditions and customers better than any other brand, Holden has a wave of exciting new models on the horizon and our dealers across the country are focussed on world-class customer service now and in the future.
“Clearly we can’t communicate all of these messages in one advertisement, so we have developed several communication platforms and advertisements.
“The entire campaign has been thoroughly and comprehensively tested and we are more than confident it will strike the right chord with Australia.”
“All of our brand advertisements share specific communication equities. Specifically, children feature prominently in our new television commercials. Kids are inherently optimistic and represent the future and these are values that reflect the Holden brand,” Mott said.
“We have also developed advertisements that communicate a core Holden strength. Our vehicles are, and will continue to be, tuned and tested for Australian conditions and customers at our iconic Lang Lang proving Ground in Victoria.”
It is running across TV, outdoor, digital and cinema and launched on Sunday.
“It will be impossible to miss. We are confident that we have developed an outstanding communications platform that establishes a new direction and charts a bright and winning future for our iconic Australian brand,” Mott said.
You have to doubt how seriously Holden are taking the job ahead of them when it takes over 12 months to come up with a campaign about the future of their brand. The fact this is the best they could do is troubling.
They may convince some people (and themselves) the Daweoo stuff from Korea is tested for Australia however just changing the suspension setup for Australia isn’t really the same thing as developing a car for our market.
The new Holden – something like the fifth in six years is going to have to spend more money on brand ads and less on product and price ads if they’re to have any hope in the future.
User ID not verified.
You have to doubt a culture that encourages mediocrity. Really, how many dozens of times has the “kids talk about their crayon drawings = future” been done? About 10 bazillion times. AJF are lucky that Holden marketing has had such high staff turnover. Otherwise their amateur hour ads wouldn’t stand a chance of getting a green light
User ID not verified.
loved these adds, really get down to the core of the company
people either aren’t aware of holdens history or have forgotten, nothing wrong with embracing the future
User ID not verified.
holden has a true usp in australia! great to see it remembered, celebrated and embraced
User ID not verified.
the slogan is a bit meh, plain and lacks substance to anyone not connected with the latest world and only hears about holden through the news won’t realise the significant reliance holden is putting into ‘the next generation’ how about an ad that assures Australians that despite the factories being outsourced its still an aussie brand for aussie customers.
User ID not verified.