A day at the world famous Goodwood Festival of Speed did not disappoint. You can hear it before you can see it and the energy you feel on arrival is of epic proportions. Even a look around the supercar parking area before you get through the gates is an experience.
Goodwood is every car lover’s dream and every car manufacturer is fighting for attention. The scale of the temporary structures and hospitality suites is astounding, many of them as big as a permanent car showrooms.
I wanted to see what car brands were doing something different. How had they gone the extra mile to impress and engage with the festival goers?
I expected to see a lot of car simulator experiences – which there were – but a few brands stood out above the rest, these were the brands that had the largest queues and the biggest draw.
Mini
Mini created a car simulator activity using the mini itself. It allowed visitors to sit in the driving seat and race the fastest mini ever. A screen array in front of the windscreen allowed for a really immersive interaction whilst actually being able to experience the interior of the vehicle.
Ford
Ford had the largest queue of the day. Their stand incorporated a huge slide, which was almost vertical with multiple twists. Visitors were offered the chance to use the slide and ‘Test’ their speed on the performance power slide. I gave it a miss myself but it was certainly a crowd-pleaser and a great example of how to attract and engage the audience.
Honda
The brand that excelled for me was Honda, which created the 2015 Playset to showcase its new range of models. The entire stand was created to look like toy car boxes, housing the cars inside the units. Each toy box was designed differently and consumers could interact on a number of photo opportunities with prize draws that included a holiday to Lapland and a £3,000 personal shopping experience at Selfridges.
It no surprise that the stand was really well received. A great example of how to stand out from the crowd.
Hayley Lawrence is director of events at agency Brand and Deliver
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