Initials helps Peugeot show off new GTI

Peugeot is backing the UK launch of its 208 GTi model with its biggest experiential campaign for 2013, led by Initials Marketing.

The Peugeot ‘GTi is Back’ campaign marks the revival and return of the performance GTi model to the car market, which builds on the much-loved 1980s’ 205 model. A national roadshow, aimed at increasing awareness of the new 208 GTi, will take place in six shopping centres including Glasgow’s Braehead shopping centre, Birmingham’s Bullring and London’s Westfield.

Activity kicks off on 7 June and will span nine weeks. At each destination, the 208 GTi stand will be brought to life with music from the 1980s to the present, accompanied by a troop of professional dancers who will be performing different styles of dance from retro 80s breakdance to modern street dance, incorporating the cars in the performances.

The stand will also feature an old 205 GTi which will appear to pass through a time tunnel and come out the other end as the 208 GTi. Peugeot will also be displaying the new 2008 Crossover and new RCZ Sports Coupé. Campaign objectives are to raise awareness of the latest arrivals in the Peugeot range, to reinforce the brand principles , and to generate vehicle demonstrations from interested drivers.

Nick Crossley, brand advertising, partnership and sponsorship manager at Peugeot, said: “The much-lauded 208 GTi brings a new dimension to the world of the performance hatchback with a lighter, more powerful, more capable and sure-footed vehicle which is suitable for everyday use.

“Many consumers will remember the 205 GTi model from the 1980s, declared the ‘Car of the Decade’ by CAR Magazine in 1990. Through the ‘GTi is Back’ campaign, we want to help existing, previous and potential Peugeot customers rediscover the fun of the GTi model. Initials Marketing has come up trumps with an experiential campaign that captures the essence and fun of the GTi model with activity that brings the GTi experience to life.”

Phil Norris, project director at Initials, added: “The 208 GTi is an exciting new build on the classic 1980s 205 model – a car which was known for its revolutionary, attractive design and offered a very different look and feel for the Peugeot brand at the time. It was fast, sporty and handled like a dream.

“Through the experiential campaign, we wanted to visually illustrate how the model has evolved from the 1980s and why consumers who loved it then will love it today. The old model holds a lot of emotional connection with owners, but mainly with an older audience, so we needed to come up with an experiential concept that connected consumers to the 208 GTi in the same way, only with a tailored approach to target younger drivers.”

The Peugeot GTi 208 went on sale in the UK in March 2013.