Subaru Impreza

In Canada, Subaru was far from a name brand vehicle. It was a niche player with about 1.5% of the overall automotive share, and suffered from low brand familiarity and low purchase intent. DDB had to develop a strategy that would give consumers a reason to consider the vehicle amid aggressive sales expectations, a hard-to-please dealer network, pressure to run U.S.-developed work, major budget restrictions and anxious clients that knew they needed a home-run campaign. Phew.

After much research, the agency discovered that the issue wasn’t satisfaction but brand presence. Many Canadians still linked the brand with Australian Paul Hogan, part of a Subaru Outback campaign that had been over for five years.

Focus groups turned into impromptu strategy sessions. Based on growing consumer acceptance of Japanese competitors like Toyota and Honda, respondents were asked whether they knew the brand was Japanese. Many didn’t (“Since when?!”). It was a fact that immediately legitimized the brand. The agency decided to leverage the benefits that consumers associated with Japanese cars – quality, reliability and durability – and added another to the list: driving performance, normally associated with European vehicles. The campaign became clear: show others, namely engineers from a German car company, as envious of this new Japanese offering.

In the cinema-turned-TV spot launched in August, four German engineers joy-riding in the Subaru Impreza to the tune of “Amadeus” are scolded by the head engineer (in German) once they return to HQ. The announcer chimes in, “It’s the Japanese car the Germans wish they’d made.”

The campaign was supported by banners, site takeovers and rich online media. The microsite (imprezaenvy.com) offered a behind-the-scenes look at German engineers exploring the new Impreza. OOH appeared in major Canadian markets. For example, copy from the fictitious Berlin Engineering magazine exclaims, “Mein Gott!” in response to the new Impreza. The envy-filled tagline is placed beneath an image of the car.

A targeted DM piece continues the story. Arriving at consumers’ homes, it looked like an authentic letter from overseas. Inside, it’s a letter from Gunter, a German engineer who must clear his conscience by writing about his admiration for the Impreza. Gunter also includes personal photos (in a Fotomat envelope) full of handwritten notes detailing the virtues of the car.

As for those skeptical dealers, they embraced the campaign when it was unveiled at the National Dealer Meeting in July. They (along with the brand’s execs) have been unanimous in claiming that the 2008 Impreza launch is as good as or better than any campaign the company has produced in its 35-plus years in Canada.

Based on the strength of the launch campaign, early pre-orders exceeded expectations. Sales of the new Impreza are up 78% over the same period last year, and the most recent figures available at press time reveal that sales for September are up 21.9%.