General Motors Holden

Repositioning the Holden Barina.

There was a time when getting an Australian man to buy a Barina was like getting them to order lemonade at a pub. But that was our task. We came up with BarinaFM, a musical platform that tapped into the psyche of young cosmopolitan men and women alike. With its booming six-speaker Blaupunkt stereo system, it was a positioning the Barina could own. The campaign was comprehensive: everything from TV and radio commercials, to print ads and dealership materials, even a mobile unit that took BarinaFM on the road. We also temporarily rebranded a radio station to get BarinaFM on the airwaves, for real. It was a huge hit. Soon young men were driving around town in Barinas with their windows down, inflicting their musical choices on neighbours far and wide. Sales went through the roof.

A year later Holden gave us another challenge. Due to increased import costs from Spain they had to raise the price of their once economical small car from AUD$14k to AUD$20k, in one hit. This time we focused on the handling. And with the help of a live bull (and a brave matador) we increased market share significantly, against the odds.