Infiniti's Latest Campaign Challenges Traditional Stereotypes
Infiniti along with Publicis Groupe recently launched a campaign, ‘Taking the Wheel.’ The film reviews the story of working parents juggling their professional lives along with their two young children in a Pixar-style animation. Communicate discusses the use of animation in effective storytelling across advertising campaigns with Eduardo Branco, Creative Director for Publicis Q, a part of Publicis Group.
Infiniti, in collaboration with its media and advertising lead agency, Publicis Groupe recently launched a commercial, challenging the traditional car commercial stereotypes. In a Pixar-style animation, the story invites viewers into the life of working parents who juggle their professional lives and two young children together. The film was designed specifically for the Arab region, with truly localized characters and locations that resemble Middle Eastern residents and cities.
“If you’re a parent with young children, how familiar are you with the likes of Paw Patrol, Coco Melon, and of course Baby Shark?” Asks Nadim Ghrayeb, General Manager – Marketing, PR and CX, INFINITI Middle East. “Those theme songs are probably more deeply embedded in your mind than anything you grew up with because in the modern household, kids control the remote. Considering this, we decided to take the opportunity as a challenger brand to evolve our approach to product communication.”
Communicate dives into the thought behind the creative process of the campaign, further discussing it with Eduardo Branco, Creative Director for Publicis Q, a part of Publicis Group.
What was the insight this campaign targeted? Was it the message to maintain a healthy work-life/family balance or to highlight Infiniti's step forward in the CX and digital space?
Infiniti wanted to launch its innovative, game-changing family SUV in the region. So, naturally, we had to talk to modern families and working parents who juggle between life at home and work. But 99,9% of people hate watching ads, right? So, we decided to make a film that felt more like a cartoon than a car commercial.
Does animation advertising give brands an upper hand in grabbing more attention? How can they use it to their advantage? How can brands target the right consumer emotion using animation and cartoon advertising? Like this film, is it important for brands to personalize the animations to the region/ community they are targeting?
In my opinion, relevancy is at the core of everything. It made a lot of sense for us to do animation because we were targeting families and wanted to make a film that could play before or after an episode of Paw Patrol for example, and still feel like entertainment for the whole family. And that’s the edge that animation can give brands. It can make an ad seem less like an ad and I guess that’s part of our job these days.
What is the brand value this campaign aligns with? And how?
Infiniti’s values are to always be human, daring, and forward. And I guess this piece of work checks all boxes… it’s human-centric, it’s different, and an absolute first for Infiniti as a brand.
Is there a particular target market that Infiniti as a brand is aiming to target with this campaign? If so, which segment and why?
As I said, Infiniti wanted to talk to modern families and an animation seemed like the perfect way to do so.
Would the creatives behind this campaign classify it as an example of purpose marketing? If so, what elements contribute to the message?
This campaign does a few things… it obviously launches a new car, but at the same time, it helps deconstruct traditional family structures in the region. By showing dad as the primary caretaker and, ultimately, a ballet tutor, we’re showing a modern outlook on families and continuing the conversation on household roles.
