Suzuki Launches New EV Campaign with Consumer Insights & Creative Support from TMW and System1
Following Suzuki’s award-winning campaign ‘Best Kept Secret’ for the Swift, the brand sought another ad that felt innately Suzuki. They challenged creative agency TMW with a brief to strengthen the brand’s ‘Good Different’ positioning while simultaneously launching – and selling – its first ever electric vehicle, the new e Vitara.
In an increasingly crowded EV market, this meant Suzuki needed to avoid chasing early adopters who had already switched to EVs and laggards who wouldn’t consider one until absolutely necessary. What remains is an influential group in the middle of the adoption curve: people who were curious about EVs, open to switching, but hesitant. Consider them ‘The Inbetweeners.’
This audience wasn’t being reassured by category advertising. Qualitative research revealed futuristic, tech-heavy ads were instead playing into their fear of the unknown and making the switch to EV feel more daunting. To win over The Inbetweeners, Suzuki and TMW needed to address their concerns and make EV feel like the obvious next step for them.
Research revealed the two biggest barriers holding The Inbetweeners back: high upfront costs and concerns around battery reliability and longevity.
The e Vitara directly resolved both: a compelling entry price (£26,249) and a market-leading 10-year warranty on the car and battery, plus loads of tech and spec as standard.
This unlocked a powerful insight: people who jump on new tech trends too early often pay more for something less reliable. The wise ones, the Inbetweeeners, wait for the right electric car to come along. Just like Suzuki, who had taken its time to get their first EV right.
The e Vitara would thus be positioned as the long-awaited reward for their patience. Creatively, this was dramatized as the long, drawn-out search for ‘the one’ and the relatable moment of finally finding it, packed with British wit and humour.
Set to Dusty Springfield’s “The Look of Love,” the TVC sees a family man trying to get a glimpse of his perfect EV. He likes what he sees, but every attempt to see more is interrupted. Whether it’s a glimpse from a café blocked by a window cleaner or an untimely opened parasol spoiling his view at the seaside, things always seem to get in the way of his perfect view of the e Vitara. The hero keeps looking and finally pulls into his driveway and takes in his new car, unobscured and unmistakably his. The voiceover delivers the campaign line, “Finally, the EV you’ve been looking for,” before delivering a final gag – a leaf lands on the window, once again obscuring his view.
Ahead of the launch, the team pre-tested the animatic with System1’s Test Your Ad platform to predict commercial potential among those considering an EV.
System1’s testing delivered a Star Rating (long-term brand-building potential), Spike Rating (short-term sales potential) and Fluency Rating (strength of branding), along with other qualitative insights to further bolster confidence in the execution.
The animatic tested exceptionally well among the target audience, predicting ‘Strong’ long-term brand-building potential and offering further insight into EV consideration and how the various creative elements were contributing to the emotional response.
TMW finalized the TVC and also developed assets for OOH, radio and social.
The creative approach resonated with consumers. The ad landed in the top 3% of car adverts on System1’s Test Your Ad Competitive Edge database and achieved a 4.2 Stars, predicting ‘Strong’ long-term brand-building potential.
This translated into powerful real-world impact, successfully increasing consideration of Suzuki by 8% year-on-year, and crucially reaching 100% of Suzuki’s ambitious sales targets by making Inbetweeners feel confident to make the switch to electric with the e Vitara.
“True to our ‘Good Different’ platform, we’re celebrating the millions of UK drivers who have trusted their instincts on going electric. They’ve taken the time to wait for ‘the one’ to appear, and here it is,” said Jodie Taylor, General Manager Marketing, Automotive Division, Suzuki GB PLC. “TMW helped us develop a campaign that captures the moment patience pays off and System1’s testing offered proof of its commercial potential. This has now translated into real impact within our business, further underscoring the value of consumer insight during the creative process.”
"TMW helped us develop a campaign that captures the moment patience pays off and System1’s testing offered proof of its commercial potential. This has now translated into real impact within our business, further underscoring the value of consumer insight during the creative process. "
Jodie Taylor, General Manager Marketing, Automotive Division Suzuki GB PLC
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