An inspirational and widespread event occurred on September 22, 2021, World Car Free Day. Global vehicle manufacturer, Volvo, and Casca, a footwear designer, released a shoe in recognition of the shared vision of both brands. The shoes were limited edition in celebration of World Car Free Day. Both brands are products to help people move. A sustainably manufactured shoe inspired by an electric car provoked discussion around how to ‘move’ in a way that could lower your carbon footprint – the first step in Volvo and Casca’s journey to climate neutrality..
The design was inspired by the 2021 release of the Volvo xc40 pure electric car. Its details included a minimalist Scandinavian design, one tag representing the Swedish flag, the other a classic Casca yellow. The Thor Hammer headlight can be seen on the front of the shoe which delivers a more performance-inspired aesthetic.
Of course the Volvo-Casca partnership is not the first team-up between a shoe and an auto brand. which were inspired by each other’s goals and visions. Nike created the Delorean Nike Dunk in 2010, modeled on the Belfast-built DeLorean DMC, detailed with white, red and orange soles similar to the rear lights of the car. In 2016, Puma collaborated with BMW to produce a pair of trainers, with the 2008 fabric-bodied Gina concept car inspiring the design. Puma also paired up with Porsche in 2020, which were inspired and styled after the Porsche 911s. Japanese brand Mizuno created the Wave Tenjin 2 in 2017, collaborating with Lamborghini and styled after the exterior of the Aventador supercar. These seemingly unusual pairing are a benefit to each brand, to reinforce their identity, attract potentially new audiences and of course give benefit from a marketing and digital PR point of view.
Understanding digital PR and its benefits
To understand the benefits of digital PR, it is best to first understand what digital PR means and how it works. It is a strategy which helps with building brand awareness using digital or online techniques. Percepto is able to create these types of strategies and messaging that promotes awareness which brands may need in an oversaturated online marketplace.
Benefits of digital PR range from building brand credibility, contributing to SEO, nurturing potential leads and building social collateral to assisting with investor interest, increasing target market reach and positive ROI. The main outcome of well structured digital PR is informing audiences of who you are and why they should connect, engage and finally buy from you.
Brands collaborating with the same goals are fiercely inspiring, especially if they are positive and for the advancement of our world. These collaborations are able to strengthen the bonds between the involved brands, leading to sharing their target audiences and promoting future investments in each other.
Collaboration inspired by shared vision
Volvo and Casca both share the same goals and visions. Volvo, innovating for ways to move in a personal, sustainable and safe way. Casca, embodying the same notion with their footwear by creating novel, everyday shoes. This collaboration encapsulates the shared passion of these two brands, meaning that they are able to utilize the benefits of digital PR to their fullest. Both Volvo and Casca are aligned with an eco-friendly vision,
The campaign yielded astounding results. Digital PR activity reached around 70% of the intended target audience with an estimated recall lift 50% higher than average. The cost per engagement was, on average, lower than 80% and had a 15% higher video view rate on Twitter. The shoes sold out in a remarkable 16 hours and the campaign was picked up in seven different countries and was featured in The Times, Autonew, MediaPost, CarBuzz and a few other major news networks.
Innovative and meaningful campaign
It is absolutely incredible seeing brands who share the same passions, collaborating and flourishing together. It sends out a statement which indicates that they care about the brands with whom they collaborate and the target audiences of both sides. This campaign was an excellent example of PR done right and how these brands were rewarded tremendously from the benefits of digital PR.
Moving forward, this campaign and previous ones can be used as reference for future collaborations which can help inspire and drive brands to increase their standards and strive for bettering themselves and others. Experts at Percepto are able to observe and gain knowledge from these types of campaigns to help clients maximize their activity.