EV car launch campaign for SsangYong Motors

Korean manufacturer SsangYong is best known for its range of award-winning durable SUVs, 4x4s and crossovers. We are SsangYong Motor’s dedicated automotive marketing agency in the UK and have been involved in marketing the brand’s range of models for over 5 years.

Visarc has worked on various campaigns within the electrified mobility vertical, but this was a welcome opportunity to take a lead on an integrated campaign from the outset.

challenge

At the time of writing electric cars account for over 15% of all new cars sold in the UK, with some manufacturers already offering an electric variant of every model in their range. This meant that the launch of SsangYong’s e-Motion needed careful conceptualisation to ensure that it stood out in front of its target market amidst all the noise surrounding the launches of other EV’s.

 

SsangYong briefed us with a clear remit, to conceptualise and deliver a striking campaign for their first EV launch in the UK. All photographic work was to take place in the UK in the winter which meant that if any outdoor on location activity was required, we would need to move fast."

When developing concepts, both the client and ourselves were drawn to using stronger colours and urban scenes. Many EV campaigns focus on muted tones and minimalist backdrops, as a challenger brand is seemed only right to try flipping this on its head to create something more standout.

approach

 

messaging

Whilst the UK appears to be divided regarding the short-term value of electric vehicles, there are two things that many agree on. 1: we need to reduce carbon emissions as soon as possible. 2: the price of EVs needs to come down to make them accessible to as many motorists as possible.

Against this backdrop the trump card we had to play was price accessibility. This is not specific to the e-Motion, rather it is a SsangYong trait, with the brand offering fantastic value to new car customers across its range.

As the ideation process progressed several creative routes emerged, the first which was more campaign-led involved using a simple yet strong call to action “The writing is on the wall” referencing the UK Government’s moratorium in ICE vehicle sales and echoing the urgency that many agree is required to combat the climate challenge. The supporting call to action “Join the charge” played on the car's accessible EV credentials encouraging consumers to join in and to find out more.

 

 

Route 1 Concept Composition

 

The second route would also go into production, not forming part of the initial launch campaign but fulfilling the need to produce striking photography for long-term assets such as brochures and product pages on the brand's website. Light art photography being used to capture swooping lines of light moving around the SsangYong e-Motion, implying efficiency and the flow of clean pure air.

 

 

Route 2 Concept Art Direction

 

aesthetic

Many past EV campaigns have eschewed bold colours and urban backdrops often focusing on more neutral tones and clean ambient light. We felt it was time to flip this on its head. The reality being that in the current economic climate it makes most sense to use an EV for urban journeys. So we set about scouting city locations, favouring those that offered more interesting lighting, particularly at night.

props and effects

The campaign creative was generated over the course of two shoots, one at Bristol’s Millenium square and another at God's Own Junkyard in London. In both cases our creative team wanted to bring something unique and authentic to the images using props and effects rather than adding elements later in the edit. This also made it easier to ensure consistency between video and photographic output.

light painting

As part of the shoot at Millenium Square our team of photographers worked with low shutter speeds and experienced light artists to capture swooping lines of light moving around the SsangYong e-Motion, implying efficiency and the flow of clean pure air...

custom neon signage

God's Own Junkyard offers many fantastic neon signs which our creative team wanted to incorporate into the campaign backdrop. However, to give the scene more impact and make it unique, we worked with the client to specify some custom signs for our headline and supporting call to action.

result

In the end our teams diligent project planning paid off and we were able to capture everything that we needed to deliver the following asset types to the client and their retained media buying agency.

• YouTube video ads – 15 and 30sec
• Paid Facebook adverts
• Emails
• In showroom POS
• Brochures
• And product pages on the national website

The SsangYong Korando e‑Motion is an important addition to our product line up. It allows us to address the 15% of the UK market which are now buying electric vehicles. Visarc’s creative team quickly understood that a different approach was needed for the e-Motion launch. Rather than being a halo car with off the chart performance figures, the e-Motion is about levelling the playing field and making it affordable to get into an EV.

Visually we wanted to try something different to the muted Scandinavian aesthetic that many other brands have followed. The project team experimented with light in an interesting way against urban backdrops. The overall effect really stands out, this is underscored by a clear call to action that we believe will resonate with both new and existing customers a like.