Subaru snuggles up to the outdoors for the first phase of its latest national print and TV campaign in support of its 2010 Subaru Outback sedan.
The first 11 seconds of “Crowbar” uses an excerpt from the “Snuggies” (the fleece blanket with sleeves) infomercial, before the teeth of a crowbar appear at the top of the screen, seemingly pulling the scene away from the TV screen. With the Snuggies ad pulled away, viewers see the rugged male who has hijacked the spot in a picturesque mountain lakeside scene. He walks to his Outback parked by the water as the super “Maybe you should get out more” appears on the screen.
The spot plays off the notion that people are spending more time indoors, said Andrew Simon, senior vice-president, creative director, DDB Toronto, Subaru’s creative agency.
“The Outback is very much aligned with the outdoors and we really wanted to own that space,” he said. “This is the vehicle that can really take people where they want to go.”
Subaru currently holds a 2% market share, and therefore needed a TV spot that would get noticed, said Ted Lalka, vice-president, product planning and marketing, Subaru Canada.
“We wanted to come up with something that would disrupt people,” he said.
Subaru purchased the rights to air the Snuggies spot, confirmed Rob MacLean, DDB’s vice-president of public relations and corporate communications, though he wouldn’t comment on terms of the agreement.
Infomercials typically run late at night, and “you don’t expect to see them during prime time, when our TV spots are playing,” he said.
The spot launched last month, and Lakla said it’s the driving force behind increased dealership visits and a 213% sales increase year-over-year for the month of October.
Print executions follow the same theme, showcasing the car against serene backdrops like a beach, lake and mountains.
The ads include the recognizable “Seen on TV” icon that now reads “As Not Seen on TV.”
The campaign targets small SUV owners and city dwellers that appreciate the outdoors and positions the Outback as the ultimate outdoor enabler, said Simon.
Phase two rolls out next month and includes a new website, social media, PR, and DM elements. OMD handled the media buy.
