Is it possible to sell a $50,000 car to someone solely online, without offering a discount, the opportunity to test drive, or getting to see it in the flesh? In a world first, MINI New Zealand proved the answer is yes.

Eschewing accepted thinking that says discounts are needed to sell a luxury product online, DraftFCB instead used perceived scarcity to create enough desire for Kiwis to pay full price. The MINI online store now sells more new MINIs than any other dealership in New Zealand.

The budget and message was deliberately fragmented into 15 integrated ‘mini’ campaigns instead of a traditional, ‘one-product, one-campaign’ approach. Unmonitored and unproven media were used where each channel was selected based on an audience insight. The campaign relied on engagement rather than reach and repetition to deliver results.

This approach paid off.  In the month following the launch of MINI Soho, more visitors went to the MINI.co.nz website than had visited during the previous 12 months combined.