INEOS Automotive, the British 4×4 manufacturer, is once again taking aim at the increasingly soft category with a new phase of its “Us vs Them” campaign, created by Wonderhood Studios.
The campaign follows the huge success of phase 1, which saw INEOS taking the fight directly to Land Rover by parking a vast poster outside one of the brand’s largest London dealerships. It featured an image of a pristine Land Rover going grille to grille with a beaten up Grenadier, and was emblazoned with the line “Let’s take this outside”.
Disregarding the wisdom about working with children or animals, Wonderhood Studios, along with director and photographer Benedict Redgrove, shot this campaign entirely in camera, complete with three sheep, five seven-year-olds – and two flamingos. The campaign was created by creative team, Coel James and Chiara Piccirillo and senior creative Bryan Stewart. It was produced through Wonderhood’s in-house production arm, Wonderhood Makers.
The results can be seen in a series of concepts that directly mirror the origins of the Grenadier and the decision-making behind different features of the vehicle. The approach pays homage to iconic automotive ads of the past, bringing to life proof-points in an authentic yet tongue-in-cheek way.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s original brief for the boot of the vehicle was that it must be able to fit either three sheep or one euro pallet. The hero execution showcases this, with the line “Others measure in litres”. In another execution, reading “The proof is in the playground”, children demonstrate the Grenadier’s adventurous spirit by using it as a climbing frame.
Two flamingos are also shown peering out of the safari windows, accompanied by the message “Some things are worth sticking your neck out for” – being a reminder that the INEOS Grenadier was built to add feeling into driving – which means sticking your head out of the window and feeling the wind in your hair.
Jonathan Hill, Chief Marketing Officer at INEOS, said: “This campaign is all about showing the INEOS Grenadier as a serious challenger in the 4×4 market whilst entertaining our audience and teasing out the Grenadier’s points of difference. We’re thankful to Wonderhood who have brought to life these differences in a witty and engaging way reminding the sector what real capability looks like.”
Jennifer Ashton and Oliver Short, Creative Directors at Wonderhood Studios, said: “In our latest instalment of the campaign, we showcase the Grenadier’s distinct features, in a distinctly Grenadier way. Unlike other ‘soft-road’ brands out there, Grenadier is built to be unpolished, un-chammied and unmistakably caked in mud. And who better to prove that than sheep… and flamingos?”
The campaign will run across Meta, YouTube and Reddit, with media planning and buying by Wavemaker.
