Title	HOTEL CALIFORNIA
Brand	VOLKSWAGEN COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
Product/Service	CALIFORNIA CAMPER VANS
Category	E02. Sponsorship & Brand Partnership
Entrant	ABBY PRIEST Stockholm, SWEDEN
Idea Creation	ABBY PRIEST Stockholm, SWEDEN
Media Placement	PHD Stockholm, SWEDEN
PR	ABBY PRIEST Stockholm, SWEDEN
Production	ABBY PRIEST Stockholm, SWEDEN
Post Production	ABBY PRIEST Stockholm, SWEDEN

Name	Company	Position
Andreas Morne	Abby Priest	Account Director
Oskar Hellqvist	Abby Priest	Creative Director
Louise Lundqvist	Abby Priest	PR Director
David Alledal	Abby Priest	Copywriter
Pia Roos	Abby Priest	Producer/Project manager
Sebastian Brännén	Abby Priest	Art Director
Lukas Andersson	Abby Priest	Designer
Per Ledin	Abby Priest	Art Director
Albin Lindau	Abby Priest	Project manager
Lotta Brattin	HOBO	General Manager, HOBO Hotel
Christian Gustavsson	Freelance	Photographer
Amanda Höglund	Freelance	Film
Ebba Wrangler	Freelance	Assistent
Veton Metaj	Freelance	Fashion Stylist
Ida Lauga	Agent Bauer	Set Designer
Frida Ronge	TAK	Culinary Director
Joachim Thimsporr	PHD	Client Director
Elias Svedberg	PHD	Digital Client Manager
Alexander Dahlin	Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles	PR Manager
Maria Johnsson	Head of Product, Marketing and PR	Head of Product, Marketing and PR

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

To encourage young people to hit the road, in a covid-19 friendly way, we decided to give the struggling hotel industry a ride. In collaboration with the design hotel HOBO, we turned RVs into designer hotels on wheels. Packing all the amenities of a hotel room into Volkswagen California camper - the campaign cut-through the noise by turning content info culture.

Background

In the year 2020, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles wanted to make a brand relocation and rejuvenation of the motorhome segment with the aim of increasing the awareness and purchase intention of a new and younger target group (25-45 years). However, this younger audience, also very trend sensitive, wouldn´t really define a new camper as “cool” and would rather spend the night in a designer hotel than in an RV. Originally, the camper category was mainly targeted to and purchased by elderly folks of 55 years or older, so we needed to change the perception of the brand for this younger group. It needed to feel fresh, modern, and of course, covid-19 friendly. Primary KPI The main objectives of the campaign were: 1. Recommendability: At least 75% 2. Purchase intention: At least 60% 3. Product experience: at least 75% positive Secondary KPIs PR exposure and PR value.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

To encourage young people to hit the road, we decided to place the campers in a memorable, stylish, and unique context. In collaboration with the design hotel HOBO and hotel mogul and entrepreneur star Petter Stordalen, we launched 'Hotel California' - a designer hotel suite, you can drive. A hospitality innovation that offers a new way to experience roads and countrysides. The initiative took the glamping trend to new heights packing all the amenities of a hotel room into Volkswagen California camper vans such as crisp bed sheets, hotel robes, Bluetooth speakers, hair fans, magazines, etc. We also teamed up with an award-winning chef creating an onboard tasting menu including a careful selection of on-the-road recipes.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

When conceptualizing the strategy, we took into account the fact that the hotel and lodging industry has been hit hard by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Occupancy rates have dropped to a few percent and unemployment skyrocketed. As Europe slowly opened up for the summer, many vacationers were forced to cancel their planned holidays abroad and were looking into more local options in the name of social distancing. With this and our trend-sensitive target group in mind, we decided to reach out to Stockholm's most fashionable boutique hotel. With our idea of putting the hotel experience on wheels. A match made in heaven. HOBO Hotel gave the Volkswagen brand a more vibrant, urban, and modern feel giving Swedes an opportunity to spend their vacation wherever they want and still be able to enjoy the standard that comes with a boutique hotel.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

Pre-launch: To meet our KPI of increased brand awareness, we nailed an exclusive interview about the brand partnership in Sweden’s largest business paper. This as well as teaser posts in SoMe, and selective influencer collaborations on Instagram, made our target audience really excited about the launch. Launch: To make sure the whole experience felt genuine, the booking experience of the vans was marketed just like hotel rooms on https://hobo.se/. During a period of 4 weeks, a total of 22 “rooms” was bookable. At “checkin-in”, guests would receive the keys to a van with a tank full of gas as well as a grocery bag with recipes. An extensive PR-push went live on launch day, as well dooh, OLV, print advertising, and SoMe.

List the results (30% of vote)

By opening a boutique hotel together with Petter Stordalen, we succeeded in our most important objective - to make RVs interesting for a new, picky group of consumers. Follow-up of the campaign was done via “Volkswagen Brand Survey 2020”: Campaign effect/result vs. concrete goals Primary KPIs: 1. Recommendability - Can you imagine recommending Volkswagen motorhomes to others? KPI: at least 75% Results: 97% 2. Purchase intention - Can you imagine buying a California 61 or Grand California within a couple of years? KPI: 60% Results: 75 3. Product experience. What is your rating for the overall experience of Hotel California? KPI: at least 75% positive Outcome: 94% Secondary KPIs: PR Exposure 1. Goal in media reach: 10 000 000 Outcome: 18 000 000 2. The goal in PR-value: 4 000 000 The outcome in PR-value: 6 000 000