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The philosophy is simple: give the consumer a good time and brand

loyalty should follow. Using leisure and entertainment as a platform for

brand extension has already proved itself in the UK. It worked in the

confectionery sector with Cadbury’s World, and Legoland has prospered in

Windsor, but can the automotive industry follow suit?

For car marketers, face-to-face marketing has traditionally been

restricted to the car showroom or the few motor shows which dominate the

exhibition calendar. But, with the launch of Opel Live in Germany this

month, that looks set to change.

General Motors is the first car company in Europe to build on the

interactive format of the exhibition environment and launch a high-tech

automotive theme park. While last year’s International Motor Show at the

NEC attracted 709,000 visitors, Opel Live in Russelsheim, Germany has a

projected attendance of 1.5 million visitors in the first three years.

It will generate pounds 3.7m through admissions, merchandising, catering

and corporate hospitality in the first year.

Russelsheim is the home of GM’s European design and technical centre

(which develops cars sold under the Opel and Vauxhall brand). The result

of six years’ development and an investment of pounds 41.7m, Opel Live

aims to entertain and educate, while exploiting the public’s enjoyment

of a ’behind the scenes’ brand experience and ultimately engendering

greater loyalty among existing and potential customers.

A chance to create a new Opel

But more importantly, says Opel Live director Jan Reuvers, the format

enables GM to address some problems with the Opel brand. ’Opel is

looking to create a new image; a young, dynamic face. It has been around

a long time and needs to be redirected.’

Not surprisingly, the venture is being watched by GM subsidiaries in

other European markets as well as rival manufacturers. Reuvers points to

France, the UK and Holland as countries where the Opel Live format could

be successfully translated.

Other manufacturers are looking at this type of activity. VW is opening

its own live experience in Germany next year and Ford is also exploiting

the concept through its own exhibition format (see box).

Opel Live was the brainchild six years ago of Andrew Grant, the

principal of Grant Leisure. Grant saw the potential to develop the site

as a self-financing industrial tourist attraction, and the UK events

company HP:ICM was appointed to lead the design and production team.

For DM25 (around pounds 10) visitors can experience three different

zones.

’The brief was to steer away from model-specific exhibits, as they

quickly become outdated, and to keep the branding subtle,’ says Miles

Platt, HP:ICM’s associate director.

The tour kicks off with a walk-through experience called ’Tour of the

Senses’ where visitors put their senses to the test before going into an

interactive gallery which explains the role the senses play in the

development and design of new cars.

For this, Opel had to cater both to those looking for real technical

insight into the car workings and to children, who need the

straightforward interaction of chunky buttons and flashing lights. As

the exhibit’s first official visitor and with a limited interest in all

things automotive, I emerged from the experience with an

uncharacteristic interest in such turgid objects as traction control,

ABS brakes, power steering and insulation.

In short, the formula works.

Opel is also able to tackle specific areas of public concern such as

emission control and safety.

Simulating times

A kinetic sculpture hall features mock testing stations and a 3-D cinema

shows the impact of a series of crash tests on the car.

Simulators - the most popular element of the tour according to research

- take visitors on a drive around Opel’s test track and an ’After Dark

Ride’ in electric cars recalls snapshots in Opel’s history. The final

element of Opel Live is a tour of the manufacturing plant itself.

In total, the experience is three and a half hours of brand immersion,

which Reuvers hopes ’will bring new light to the Opel brand’.

ON THE ROAD WITH FORD

Ford, the second-largest car company in the world, has a job on its

hands when it comes to getting its brand message across to dealers and

customers because it has several marques under one umbrella brand.

The company’s desire to acquire and retain lifelong customers is played

out at annual motor shows around the world. And in the US, there is no

event more important than the Detroit Motor Show. Every January, inside

the vast Cobo exhibition centre, the motor city plays host to the

world’s major car manufacturers.

As with other car companies, Ford keeps on growing. From its takeover of

Volvo this year, its acquisition of Kwik Fit and rumours of a merger

with Honda, are all signs of its expanding horizons.

Every year the car company builds a bigger stand at the show but this

year it aimed for its biggest ever. Imagination, the design and

communications consultancy, was given the job of building a stand to

incorporate a brand experience that would not only show how impressive

Ford is, but how it can respond to the needs of the consumer.

The stand invited visitors to experience the whole Ford brand. The

centre-piece of the exhibition was the reborn retro-style Ford

Thunderbird, but the stand also showcased future models including Ford,

Aston Martin, Mazda and Lincoln. The Jaguar division was steeped in

luxury with thick carpets and a small decorative pond while the Super

Crewzer, the ultimate bulky American car, generated much of the

visitors’ interest.

Ford also set out to educate visitors on the future of the environment

by showing the company’s research into an alternative to petrol and

recycling.

The new media stand gave the chance for a sneak preview of the new Ford

web site.

Lucy Barrett.