Dubai Lynx 2015: “Integration happens truly when you make the physical and digital worlds communicate”

A piece of innovation from the Middle East was in the spotlight at the opening session of the Dubai Lynx Festival of Creativity 2015, which kicked off on 8 March. The work was a polyphonic ‘musical instrument’ created from the sounds of the Chrysler 300C, labelled ‘Performer’.

 

“Chrysler is counted among the big three in the US. The Middle East is a very competitive market. We were seeing significant growth here, but we are constantly looking to increase market share. In most markets, Chrysler brands are seen as a luxury executive sedan for a slightly older market. In this (slightly younger) market, we seemed to be attracting a younger buyer,” explained Muhammad Aslam, director of marketing, communications and product management, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

 

In that context, the brief to the agency Publicis was to integrate the brand and the 300C seamlessly, leveraging Chrysler’s association with the show Arab’s Got Talent (for two years) and Saudi DJ and rapper Qusai.

 

“It was an opportunity to create something new with technology at the heart of it,” explained Alex Brunori, regional ECD, Publicis.

 

Collaboration between the brand, agency, Qusai and sound engineers saw the birth of ‘Performer’. The performing sessions were aired during the reality show, while a TVC with soundtrack from the ‘instrument’ went on air during the Arab’s Got Talent finale. Posters on which one could play the instrument and a similar press ad were part of the package. Retargeting was possible online with the help of technology that tracked the press and poster executions.

 

“Integration happens truly when you make the physical and digital worlds communicate,” said Brunori. The campaign also straddled PR, promotions and digital. This became the first print ad created using the technology, informed the creative head.

 

Tony Mowatt, product manager, Google, noted that given the penetration of mobile devices in the region, and to achieve the furthest reach, HTML5 was chosen for the campaign. The conscious effort was to not lose the ‘coolness’ or ‘engagement’ of the campaign, he underlined. It was after all about the experience, irrespective of platform.

 

Going further, a QR code on YouTube allowed users to download and create beats and melodies on their own devices using the Performer. The innovation has also been sent to musicians and composers across the world for them to use as an instrument.

 

(This article was first published on CampaignMe.com)