Audi Case Study

Background History

We thrive on being a design led creative agency….and we enjoy working with leading brands and retailers who are also at the top of their game in their respective industry. Audi are one of these brands.

Continually combining stunning design and cutting-edge technology to produce truly iconic vehicles with a great sense of aspirational quality behind them. We have held Audi in such esteem that we proactively analysed the Audi retail experience and approached them with our thoughts and findings.

Since that initial meeting we have gone on to develop an ongoing working relationship, where we have been involved in numerous projects and enjoyed providing creative solutions to some exciting briefs, some of which have then gone on to been produced  and installed into UK Showrooms.

Audi remain an inspirational brand and one of the front-runners within the Automotive industry and we are proud to showcase a brief history of some of our thinking and ideas to push the retail aspects of their showrooms.

Enhanced Showroom Concepts

We approached Audi to showcase a range of ideas to provide Audi showrooms with the same user experience that customers get from driving their vehicles.

We wanted to enhance existing dealerships with interactive features and high-end technology built-in to display units that would enable potential customers to experience the main characteristics of Audi cars from arrival at the showroom, through to departure.

Large format projection displays can utilize the exterior glazing as a “blank canvas” and project the latest models onto the showroom for all to see. This system has several benefits, as not only is there a quick turnaround in changing the projected image, but also less costs involved for this process when compared to large format window vinyls, for example.

Various touchscreen and “gesture controlled” displays were visualised as part of free-standing units and as part of integral displays next to featured models. These would act as a “silent salesperson” to customers and provide a wealth of information without any pressure of an expected face-to-face conversation. The user can be left to browse in a relaxed fashion, while still being immersed into the brand.

The “gesture control” technology identifies a users arm movements and scrolls through and selects pages to engage potential customers through an experiential use  of technology.

Q3 Launch – Showroom Activity

For the launch of the latest mini SUV (the “Q3″) – aimed at a more feminine target market – we worked alongside Audi to produce a bespoke display, to be rolled out to their  estate of dealerships in the UK.

We provided our client with an initial creative palette that they could select from, as there was such a broad range of directions to explore within the branding material that came alongside the brief.

We took the tagline of the new vehicle “Function in an elegant form” and used this as the basis for many of the ideas as it was so key to the styling and target market of the car. We then devised a series of visuals that complimented the tagline and echoed the characteristics of the above-the line advertising.

Several ideas were presented to – and well received from our client – from engraved aluminium plinths, honeycomb detailing and smart material bench seating (that replicates the materials used within the vehicle). The roll-out design selected was a flexible plinth system, that could then be used on other models after the Q3, as sections could be removed or added to suit vehicles of a different size.

New A3 Pre-launch Activity

In this instance we were tasked by our client to create a method in which to take the launch of the new A3 out of the dealership/showroom. The majority of car dealerships go with the traditional format of showcasing the latest vehicle next to some sort of plinth display that details the car spec and price information.

We needed to be innovative and create new methods of how users can continually interact with the new A3 during the pre-launch period. This was a challenge without too many client assets to utilize as the car was kept under lock & key before it was officially released to the press and public.

We did however, create a series of interactive features & games that could be used on a variety of mobile platforms and devices. All intended to keep the user notified of launch dates and the latest information regarding the vehicle. Through using intelligent interactive content within these concepts we were able to provide solutions with a life-cycle that matched our clients ATL pre-launch activity.

We provided clever solutions to the brief and gave our client broad scope in which to consider the best way in which to keep potential customers loyal to the new model without interacting with it physically.

New A3 Launch Activity

After the new A3 was announced and the vehicle had a launch date to be presented in showrooms, we were asked to provide some concepts that could be presented next to the vehicle when it is displayed in dealerships.

We used the styling cues within the new A3 itself as a basis behind the overall form of the ideas and combined this with premium materials and stunning lighting effects to create attractive, yet minimalist  showroom quality pieces.

Staggered lighting effects, which ultimately show a call-to-action or message to the viewer were a key aspect used in these designs…we also used bespoke screen displays that use a unique bevel shape to showcase distinctive and eye-catching content.