The new Audi R8 is the fastest production supercar Audi has ever created, and the pinnacle of the Audi Sport range.
It was quite simply one of the most significant model launches for the Audi brand.
But how do you advertise the performance capability of a 610 hp vehicle …
without breaking advertising regulations?
It was quite simply one of the most significant model launches for the Audi brand.
But how do you advertise the performance capability of a 610 hp vehicle …
without breaking advertising regulations?
The solution
To convey the performance capabilities of the car we found a more interesting angle than simply showing
the car performing at speed. Our creative idea revolved around turning ordinary human blinks into a
personal unit of velocity, and in so doing creating an interactive race experience that allowed our audience to feel
what the speed of the R8 might actually feel like if they were behind the wheel. In other words, we demonstrated
the car’s speed in a uniquely personal way by showing just how much of the road they might miss through
blinking while driving at high speed. As we were able to measure just how often each individual blinked, we
provide a truly personalised statistic that put the speed of the new Audi R8 into a context our
performance car enthusiasts would truly appreciate.
To convey the performance capabilities of the car we found a more interesting angle than simply showing
the car performing at speed. Our creative idea revolved around turning ordinary human blinks into a
personal unit of velocity, and in so doing creating an interactive race experience that allowed our audience to feel
what the speed of the R8 might actually feel like if they were behind the wheel. In other words, we demonstrated
the car’s speed in a uniquely personal way by showing just how much of the road they might miss through
blinking while driving at high speed. As we were able to measure just how often each individual blinked, we
provide a truly personalised statistic that put the speed of the new Audi R8 into a context our
performance car enthusiasts would truly appreciate.
The execution
First we consulted with experts at the Journal of Neurophysiology to find out how far the R8 would travel in
one human blink. The answer was a staggering 37m. Even though the average viewer blinked only 8 times in
a minute, in that time they’d miss a remarkable 130 metres. Armed with this insight, we filmed the Audi R8 travelling
down an airport runway. Later, as viewers watched that footage online, we tracked and counted their blinks using
their computer webcam. Calculating each viewer’s unique ‘blink count’, we converted the speed of the car into
a context not only unique to each viewer, but also easier to understand experientially. The actual distance the
viewer would have missed, based on their individual blink count, was revealed to them at the end, giving them
plenty of incentive to get behind the wheel of an Audi R8 for real.
First we consulted with experts at the Journal of Neurophysiology to find out how far the R8 would travel in
one human blink. The answer was a staggering 37m. Even though the average viewer blinked only 8 times in
a minute, in that time they’d miss a remarkable 130 metres. Armed with this insight, we filmed the Audi R8 travelling
down an airport runway. Later, as viewers watched that footage online, we tracked and counted their blinks using
their computer webcam. Calculating each viewer’s unique ‘blink count’, we converted the speed of the car into
a context not only unique to each viewer, but also easier to understand experientially. The actual distance the
viewer would have missed, based on their individual blink count, was revealed to them at the end, giving them
plenty of incentive to get behind the wheel of an Audi R8 for real.
While the race was only a minute long, on average
viewers spent more than 8 minutes absorbed in the experience. The campaign cost was covered in less than a week, with a 390% return on investment in the first month. |