Initiative / Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Agency: Initiative
Brand: Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Executives Involved in The Campaign: Jason Deal, SVP, Group Account Director
Lindsey Kollross, Account Director
Arthur Yu, Account Supervisor
Maya Pollak, Media Planner
Campaign Brief:
Campaign Name: Genesis Coupe– Xbox
Forza Motorsport 3 and USA Burn Notice Vegas Heist
Challenge
To launch the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Initiative was challenged to break
sports car enthusiasts’ perceptions that Hyundai does not make high-performance
or stylish cars.
Insight/Strategy
According to ComScore Plan Metrix, sports car enthusiasts are 12 times more
likely to race a car in a video game than the average adult. Thus, to achieve
our goal, we used video game integrations to provide our target with an
opportunity to experience the Genesis Coupe firsthand via virtual test drive in
environments where style is emphasized and performance is key.
Tactics
Microsoft Xbox Forza 3
To emphasize the Genesis Coupe’s performance, we put the car in the “hands” of
consumers by integrating the Genesis Coupe in the launch of Microsoft’s Forza
Motorsport 3, the number one racing franchise on Xbox. Working closely with
Forza developers, we created a custom downloadable Genesis Coupe car pack featuring
3 vehicles, including Formula Drift champion Rhys Millen’s 550 horsepower
Genesis Coupe. The car pack added a new level of value to the user experience,
as normally only expert players have access to vehicles with that level of
performance.
To emphasize the Genesis Coupe’s style, we created two custom UGC contests
using Forza’s ability to capture photos and video footage. The “Hyundai Foto
Throwdown” challenged users to submit their best “brochure-like” glamour shot
of the Genesis Coupe in action. The “Hyundai Video Battle” challenged users to
capture their most artistic moments driving the Genesis Coupe in-game.
USA Burn Notice: Covert Ops Vegas Heist
Through integration into the show Burn Notice and its Covert Ops Vegas Heist
game, we put fans of the show right in the driver’s seat through the streets of
Las Vegas, taking them to the most upscale estates and trendiest nightclubs in
the city. The weekly missions turned users into spies, challenging them to
conduct surveillance, plant evidence and track down the bad guy, all while
behind the wheel of a Genesis Coupe. To complete the missions successfully, a
high performance car was essential. Luckily, the Genesis Coupe allowed users to
perform expert maneuvers while weaving in and out of traffic, engaging in
high-stakes chases, and making close escapes.
Results
According to Microsoft, the campaign garnered over 52 Million impressions on
Xbox Live, over 2.5 Million Genesis Coupes downloaded, and over 26,000 contest
participants. Finally, according to survey results from an Interpret study, the
campaign successfully lifted the Genesis Coupe’s perceived style 26% and
perceived performance 21% among sports car enthusiasts.
Vegas Heist proved to be the most popular game on USA Network, with an average
of approximately 28,911 game plays per week and a total of 238,260 game plays
throughout the campaign. During the first month of the season alone, the
percentage of users who spent more than 30 minutes interacting with the game
increased by 400%. Through the Covert Ops integration, our target had a rare
opportunity to interact with the Genesis Coupe and discover first hand that it
is a stylish and high performance sports car, fit for a spy.
Link to Your Creative
Materials: http://www.dm2pro.com/downloads/20101128/download
