In China, Jeep is a major brand within the product portfolio of automobile manufacturing company GAC FCA, a joint venture between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC). The launch of the new Jeep Compass is an important milestone in boosting sales for Jeep and as part of the brand’s rejuvenation strategy. The new car embodies the strengths of the brand in all-terrain performance, quality and safety, while offering upgrades to its interior and intelligent technology.
The new Compass is a compact sports utility vehicle designed for the new middle-class born in the 1990s. This young generation has become a critical segment in the mainstream automobile market in China and winning their preference is imperative to capturing a significant share of the market.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many young Chinese people feeling lost and confused. With ‘find your inner compass’ as the overarching campaign message in the new Compass launch, Essence hopes to encourage them to keep the fire burning in their hearts and inspire them to take on life with a new sense of exploration.
In the creative execution, Essence partnered with two young key opinion leaders - a surfing champion and a well-known vlogger. The two individuals’ stories express a powerful spirit of adventure, perseverance and being true to oneself, in line with the Jeep brand’s values, and at the same time, incorporate the new Compass’ product highlights.
Watch the full 130-second films (with English subtitles):
Developed and produced by Essence in China, the two films break away from the traditional mould of automotive advertising from creative idea to presentation. Rather than focusing on product functions, the films portray real-life stories of the two young individuals from their perspectives. With close collaboration between Essence’s strategy, creative and media teams for the integrated media launch campaign, the films quickly resonated with the young generation in China upon their introduction online, generating much interest and discussion across social media platforms.
Watch the 30-second cutdowns (with English subtitles):
This campaign follows Essence’s recent appointment as full-service, integrated media agency of record for Jeep’s line of locally produced vehicles in China. Essence’s responsibilities include brand strategy, media planning and activation, as well as creative development and production, for both offline and digital campaigns.
Credits:
GAC FCA - Jeep:
Marketing: Susie Lv, Mark Liu
Essence China:
Agency Lead: Benjamin Wei
Client Service Lead: Yanjin Qu
Group Account Director: Fairy Fang
Account Director: Neal Wang
Account Manager: Mia Sun
Account Executives: Mike Ma, Micky Chen
Strategy Lead: Claire Zhao
Producer: Kenny Quan
Creative Director: Thomas Zhan
Associate Creative Director: Kon Xu
Senior Art Director: Yoan Zeng
Senior Copywriter: Cookie Shi
Art Director: Han Xu
Befeuer Production:
Director: Junjie Shi
Production Director: Chris Yang
Production Supervisor: Fangyan Ma
Executive Producer: Jiuqi Zhang
Directors of Photography: Shihao Zhao, Guangli Ren
Editors: Longxin Ma, Shang Gao
