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VCCP help Avis “Try Harder” in a new European TV Campaign

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VCCP has created a TV spot for car rental company, Avis called “Unlock the World,” which made its televisual debut last night during the World Cup match between England and Costa Rica. The campaign, which was written by Kieran Knight and directed by Marcus Soderlund, is the first major ad campaign by VCCP for Avis since they won the Avis Budget Group's £15 million account last year, and will run in the UK, France and Germany, where it will also be supplemented by a press campaign shot by Samuel Hicks.

The campaign is the first major ad campaign since VCCP won the Avis Budget Group's £15 million account last year

The spot, which is soundtracked by the classic “Let's Go Fly A Kite” song from Mary Poppins, opens with a man in a multi-story car park using his keys to find his hire car. He clicks on the remote only to find that every car on the floor responds. The 60 second spot then cuts across numerous cars unlocking in various exotic locations throughout the world, implying that the man at the start of the spot didn't just unlock one car, but the entire world. The line, “Unlock the world,” then appears before the Avis logo takes centre-stage, underlined by the company's classic motto from the 1960's, which has been resurrected for this new campaign; “We try harder.” The spot was shot in stark black-and-white over the course of a three day shoot in Chile, Soderlund said they chose the location because the terrain gave “An epic sense of scale,” which was “Like something out of Star Wars.”

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A still from the new ad

The motto was dropped by Avis in the US in 2012 in favour of the “It's your space” tag written by Leo Burnett. The motto, which was written by Doyle Dane Bernbach, was first utilised by the company back in 1962 and was credited with reversing the fortunes of the then struggling business. It is to Avis what “Just do it” is to Nike and “I'm Loving it” is to McDonald's. Indeed, Avis Budget Group EMEA's group commercial director Troy Warfield believes the tagline is “Built into the DNA of the business and is ever present in every aspect of how Avis' employees think about their customers, which is why it is still so relevant today.” He says “A strap-line has to be a statement of intent that underpins everything you do,” and believes that ‘We try harder” is as much a part of the organisation’s ethos as it is a powerful strap-line for the brand.”

Troy Warfield believes the “We try harder” tagline is “Built into the DNA of the business and is ever present in every aspect of how Avis' employees think about their customers

Rebecca White, brand director for Avis, believes this is a really exciting time for the company as they set out to re-energise the iconic strap-line in a way that is relevant and aspirational for today’s audience.” She thinks the new campaign will “Inspire anyone with a love of travel and great cars to reappraise what car rental is all about, and that it also “Supports the premium positioning of the brand and the pride Avis has in delivering outstanding customer service” wherever its customer may find themselves in the world.

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A still from a 1980's Avis ad 

The campaign follows a period of renewed investment in the company's consumer image, which has involved a redevelopment its website, the launch of a new mobile app and a greater focus on its customer loyalty programme. Avis “Want to get back on people’s radar”, says Warfield, as well as get them to reappraise the brand. He says they “Have kept the message as simple as possible to really talk about the fact that as someone experiences the brand they get to unlock this world of great cars that can take them to great places.”

Official VCCP Website

Official Avis Website

Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer from the UK who ALWAYS tries harder.

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