The auto industry is becoming increasingly competitive, and Škoda is not one to fall behind. For the new model of Superb, the brand has taken an aggressive positioning of ‘Best-in-next-class’ in its TVC.
The ad film shows a martial arts fighter standing under water, meditating and practicing his moves as the voiceover takes the viewer through the campaign philosophy of delivering a knock-out punch.
The ad has been conceptualised and executed by Publicis Ambience.
The target audience is the potential premium to super premium car buyer. Jigar Fernandes, executive creative director at Publicis Ambience explains, “I say super premium because the new Škoda Superb is packed with astonishingly state-of-the-art features that are only available in cars beyond its class. The idea behind the ad was to use a human metaphor for what the car stands for. The belief that if you have what it takes, you can punch above your weight.”
Speaking about the campaign, Tarun Jha, head of marketing, Škoda Auto India, says, “The Škoda Superb has always been our flagship product, and has a long heritage of delivering exceptional comfort and luxury. Our campaign highlights the new Superb’s ‘class-beating’ attributes that make it a head-turner — more poised, expressive and emotionally charged than ever before.
Discussing the concept of the ad film, Bobby Pawar, managing director of Publicis Communications, says “The new Superb is a car that delivers above and beyond. It has class-beating performance machined into a sublime form. Our job, as we saw it, was to find a human metaphor that brought it alive.”
Fernandes adds, “When you are punching above your weight, you have to give it your all. It’s as true for the new Škoda Superb as it is for all of us. The insight comes from the car itself. This car is not fighting the battle to be the best in its class. That, it already is. It is taking the challenge into the turf of the brands beyond its class. What better metaphor than that of a martial arts fighter who just like the car, through patience and preparation, knocks out an opponent twice his size.”
Besides the currently aired TVC, the ad will be taken across social media with a contest asking people to share their ‘punching above their weight’ moment. “The inspiring stories will then be collated and the best ones will be shot into short videos,” says Fernandes.
BW Reporters
The author is special correspondent at Digital Market Asia, is fascinated by the evolving digital media industry, and has focussed on tracking developments in the field in Asia Pacific.
