Let Your Body Drive sets theme for integrated Peugeot launch

Peugeot is backing the UK launch of its 208 model with a multichannel campaign led by INITIALS Marketing that takes in experiential, digital and promotional activity in what is set to be the car marker’s most important launch for a decade.

The Peugeot ‘Let Your Body Drive’ campaign has been created by a cross-agency team of INITIALS Marketing, EHS 4D, and OMD. It kicks off with a viral push, seeded on YouTube, which features internet sensation Dubstep dancer Marquese Scott, aka Nonstop of the dance crew REMOTEKONTROL. Scott, who has more than 40 million views for one dance clip alone, dances to the Rudimental track, ‘Feel the love’, which was sourced by INITIALS.

The viral clip will be followed by national roadshow that takes in seven shopping centres including Bristol’s Cabot Circus, Birmingham’s Bullring and London’s Westfield from 27 April, to showcase the car to consumers. At each destination, the 208 stand will be brought to life with street dancers including Super Malcolm, performing to the Rudimental track, to reinforce the ‘Let Your Body Drive’ messaging.

Campaign objectives are to raise profile of the new model and to generate vehicle demonstrations from interested drivers. All elements of the activity will direct consumers to www.youtube.com/letyourbodydrive where they will be able to view the Marquese Scott video in full and encouraged to upload their own ‘Bodydrive’ video. Anyone who uploads their own video will be entered into a prize draw to win a trip to stay in a VIP villa in Ibiza for a week with seven friends to coincide with the closing parties of summer.

The competition goes live on 25 April and will run until the end of June.

INITIALS Marketing commissioned Rubber Republic to produce a series of films featuring Scott, whom the agency flew over from Atlanta. The viral sees the extreme pop and lock dancer perform in a car park in Cabot Circus, Bristol. Dancing to a Rudimental dance track featuring John Newman, Scott’s fluid style symbolise the virtues of the ergonomically designed 208.

Nick Crossley, brand advertising, partnership and sponsorship manager at Peugeot, said: “The new 208 represents a huge step in the evolution of the ‘20’ series. It’s a completely new car that we’ve built from the ground up and pushes the boundaries of original Peugeot designs, making it the most stylish of the supermini class.

“The Bodydrive campaign complements the interactive nature of the 208, from the dashboard to the integral interior design of the vehicle, which is deceptively spacious. INITIALS Marketing has sourced an exceptional talent in Marquese Scott, who perfectly reinforces the messaging of the 208 model: a dynamic, lightweight, ergonomic vehicle that moves with the driver and not the other way round.”

Chris Wareham, director and head of experience at INITIALS, added: “The new 208 is the design cue for all vehicles going forward, one that you would associate with a premium car. Previous models like the 205 and 206 hold a lot of emotional connection with owners, so we needed to come up with an experiential concept that connected consumers to the 208 in the same way, but with a tailored approach to the target late-20s audience .

“The control Marquese has over his body, his apparent ease of movement, reflects the intuitive nature of driving and underlines the global positioning for the 208 – Let Your Body Drive.”

The Peugeot 208 goes on sale in the UK on June 28.