DS Automobiles activation inside Westfield marks UK debut for DS E-Tense
Posted by
On October 10th, a film released by DS Automobiles revealed the moment Formula E racing driver Sam Bird took the brand’s stunning concept car for a secret after-hours spin inside Westfield London, marking the UK debut of the DS E-Tense Concept car.
The behind-closed-doors footage shows Bird, a DS Virgin Racing driver and the third-highest all-time Formula E points scorer, behind the wheel of the all-electric vehicle. As the camera pans away, it becomes clear he is driving indoors, past many of the high-street and high-end stores that call the major retail destination in White City home.
The footage was recorded at night inside Westfield London, soon to become Europe’s largest shopping centre when a £600 million Phase 2 expansion opens in March 2018. Westfield’s Brand Ventures team worked closely with DS Automobiles on the activation, granting special permission for Bird to drive the DS E-Tense indoors after closing time.
Paul Buttigieg, Westfield’s director of operations, says: “We like to go the extra mile for our partners to help them create innovative content to drive awareness and sales. Giving a leading racing driver the green light to take a spin inside one of our centres was a real first but having built such a positive relationship with DS Automobiles over the past few years we wanted to help them create a standout moment to mark the UK debut of the DS E-Tense, and the soon-to-be-launched DS 7 Crossback.”
DS Automobiles has partnered with Westfield London since 2015, opening its flagship DS Urban Store in 2016. The digitally-enabled boutique concept invites visitors to explore the lifestyle of the Parisian-born brand at one of London’s premium shopping destinations.
Mark Blundell, UK marketing director at DS Automobiles, adds: “The avant-garde spirit of design present in every DS car aligns perfectly with some of the world’s most luxurious names in fashion located in Westfield London. This remains the perfect location for our brand and Westfield continues to help us find new and creative ways to engage an extremely high footfall audience.”
