Havas Milan’s partnership with Alfa Romeo has extended to include work for the new Alfa Romeo Tonale Plug-In Hybrid – its first plug-in hybrid in its history. We heard more about the campaign from Luissandro Del Gobbo, Chief Creative Officer, Havas Milan, for Dare!. Read more below!
Can you talk about your history with Alfa Romeo?
This story goes back to the end of 2021, when we started pitching for the launch of the AR Tonale. The scope of work originally included two creative tenders: one for the creation of the Tonale Mhev launch campaign and another for the campaign currently on air – the launch of the Tonale Phev, the first Alfa Romeo Plug-in hybrid in history. But the quality of our work was so appreciated that we were also entrusted with the launch of a line of special edition cars, the Giulia and Stelvio Estrema. As of now, we’re currently finishing up the 4th chapter of this story. We’re post-producing the commercial launch of the new Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, the brand’s two iconic cars that have just undergone a major restyling. Our love story with Alfa Romeo has just begun, but it’s already a story full of several meaningful moments.
Tell us more about the new campaign for the Tonale Plug-In Hybrid Q4.
To quote our client’s words, this campaign wants to underline how the new Alfa Romeo Tonale Plug-In Hybrid really is the perfect hybrid. It’s the combination of heritage and future, technological efficiency and driving emotion, electric for everyday use and hybrid to go long distances. Tonale is the ultimate metamorphosis of Alfa Romeo’s passion – it’s the electric car that gives a new charge to sportiness. The campaign was shot between Milan and Turin in 3 days. It shows a mix of different iconic locations that add depth to the concept; for instance, the futuristic Lingotto building on one side and the classic Via Roma in Turin on the other. Noteworthy also is the fact that we created a huge light installation in a theater – you can see the main character playing with the light beams towards the end of the spot.
“It’s still too early to gather results on this last campaign, but we know that the video was liked and praised as innovative and daring. It has been perceived as a brave statement of an evolving brand which still builds upon its rich heritage.”
How did you concept the activation?
We wanted Tonale to be perceived as an extremely innovative car. Not only does it offer best in class connectivity and is an absolute standout in the design field – as further confirmed by the awards it had already received at the prototype stage – but also as a car in continuity with the history of Alfa Romeo, a history made up of passion and tireless pursuit of unique driving experiences. To symbolize this coexistence of future and heritage, we thought of creating a parallel with what has been also happening in the last few years to our country – looking towards the future while paying absolute attention and respect to the past. The campaign has been aired as a 30” on TV but it’s also present on the web. Another asset of the campaign is the OOH advertising.
Were there any particular successes or challenges you faced while putting the campaign together?
One of the clients’ requests was to communicate to a prospect whose preferences don’t naturally match up with the traditional tastes of Alfa lovers. This pretty large cluster of potential buyers has been labelled as “life loving leaders.” Those are mainly 30- to 45-year-old people who love experiencing new things and leading an interesting, exciting, and sometimes epicurean lifestyle. Looking at the result of the first campaign, we’ve succeeded in creating a message which wouldn’t alienate us from the Alfa lovers while enticing this new audience.
What have the results been so far?
It’s still too early to gather results on this last campaign, but we know that the video was liked and praised as innovative and daring. It has been perceived as a brave statement of an evolving brand which still builds upon its rich heritage. The launch should happen shortly also in major markets such as the US, so we’re hopeful about the feedback we will receive from these markets as well.
