By now you might have heard about the new Aston Martin digital campaign for the new Rapide four door sports car. It’s an interactive experience that aims to take branded content to the next level through a series of super-high-end short films and social content through a kind of ARG game that requires you to crack clues in order to win some very cool products from Aston Martin’s partners including Bang & Olufsen, Jaeger LeCoultre, Bill Amberg, Louis Roederer, and Ozwald Boateng.
While this kind of content is getting pretty common from the likes of BMW and Audi, it’s a first step for Aston Martin in this space. On first take, it looks great, and I think the integration of the partner products is brilliant, but, for the kind of audience that can afford an Aston Martin, I just wonder if they will be waiting around to crack clues across YouTube, Facebook and Twitter?
Looking at the age of the actors, perhaps they’re trying to pitch the car at a younger / new money audience.
Couldn’t agree more with your last point Aden – not many super wealthy types spend much time on Facebook, and they definitely don’t have enough free time to spend a length of their time engaging with this kind of thing. Saying that, you’ve got to love the production values
Andy, I think most people in the world wish they could sell in a campaign like that! Insane production value.
I suspect the idea either came out of Aston Martin, or the agency did the worlds best pitch
If so, congrats to them indeed, I want their secrets.
I agree with th comments. Also am confused by everyone’s need to show the ‘making of’….how many have you ever watched and surely only when there is something innovative or unique should a ‘making of’ really be made.
When I first read about the campaign, I was pumped. being a transmedia producer I love new approaches especially when brands like Aston Martin – who usually don’t do things like this – try for the first time. R/ZA being an awesome agency, I thought this had to be a success.
BUT ther are issues:
The production value is surprisingly low (at least in the first movie). Take a look at 1:13 for instance. What happened there? Did they have to fix low lighting on set with Adobe Premiere 6.5? It looks like the exterior is on blue screen, because the edges around the heads blur too much. Not good. Acting, well… also fail.
One more thing: Target audience. I am total fan of trying to use new techniques for elder audiences. Sometimes they work. But in this case they have to be wealthy as well. old people with money DO NOT use social media as R/ZA might hope. Young rich guys might not use it as well. So I don’t think that the conversion will be high. No cars will be sold through this campaign.
BUT it is absolutely time for campaings like this. They are cool, they attract attention, they make the brand look modern and spicy. A transmedial approach without the gaming aspect might have been a better choice, but nevertheless it was the right decision to create something like this.
Pretty pathetic attempt at knocking off the Bond franchise which made their cars cool in the first place. Maybe that’s where their heading, perhaps this is the lead in to another Bond film. One could only hope.
Good fun. Have to agree with the production query on the film part though, especially waitress clomping about in shoes, unless the shoes are one of the prizes and you’re meant to notice them as the answer to a clue later on.
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Aden – I normally agree with your posts, but on this one I don’t. The production values are not super high. It looks amateur for something that should be exquisite. The story is slow to begin, editing non existent, the acting contrite without emotion or energy. I hope the car itself drives better.
@Barney, fair enough! Agree it’s not feature film quality… There could have been better lighting to set the mood, but still not bad.
Truely awful – looks like a high end porno.
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