Shell Oil Products US has launched a yearlong, $35 million integrated marketing campaign to let motorists know that “all gasolines are not the same.”
TV spots, an experiential marketing tour, and in-market activation programs all focus on giving consumers a first-hand look at the gunk that low-quality discount valves and fuel injectors can leave behind on critical engine parts, Shell said.
The new marketing campaign, Shell Passionate Experts, is built around the results from a variety of Shell tests, including one designed to compare two gasoline products in a single engine under identical conditions.
TV spots broke earlier this month created by J. Walter Thompson to introduce the Shell Passionate Experts theme and reinforce the company’s consumer products theme “Made to Move.”
One spot features Nascar driver Kevin Harvick and two actors playing Shell lab engineers to encourage consumers to “stop gunky build-up” by using Shell gasoline. The second spot features the experts and the passion they have in proving that all gasolines are not the same. The ads are running on national and cable networks, including ESPN, CNN, Discovery and E!. Radio, as well as print and online ads also support in Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, Popular Mechanics, Motor Trend and NASCAR Scene.
A national experiential tour will hit 15 cities with multiple exhibits and interactive components.
A Shell Dual Fuel Car was developed with a “split” engine to show the differences between running an engine on low-quality gas compared to Shell gasoline.
Consumers can dress up like a rookie Nextel Cup driver and create a video with a virtual Harvick in an interactive movie experience.
An interactive game, Got Gunk, lets visitors race through a street filled with gunky carbon deposits.
The tour also includes an alternative fuel exhibit and a historical overview of Shell‘s relationship with motorsports.
At a kiosk, consumers can sign up for the Shell Platinum MasterCard and receive a $5 Shell Gift Card.
On the local level, P-O-P displays are set up at more than 13,000 Shell stations nationwide. Harvick will make appearances in select markets. And Shell cardholders will receive an insert in monthly statements reinforcing the campaign’s messaging.
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