When Ford launched the new subcompact Fiesta, it was the company’s first real attempt to lure young car buyers who traditionally consider only imports.  We knew the media had to change with the audience profile, and that to make a name for Fiesta in a market with over 300 different advertised nameplates, we had to think differently.

To attract next-generation buyers, Harmelin launched a multi-faceted, non-traditional media campaign. We gave 13 high-profile FM disc jockeys their very own Fiesta to drive for three months and asked them to talk, blog and post about their ride. Local event sponsorships were secured with Live Nation and Welcome America, putting Fiesta in front of more than a million consumers. Pandora Internet Radio targeted tech-friendly youth buyers, and a summer-long winafiesta.com contest drove tens of thousands of online engagements and hand-raisers by offering “can’t buy” prizes to Fiesta enthusiasts.

As a result, Fiestas were selling before they were even in stock.  And in less than a year, Fiesta became (and still is) the #1 subcompact car in our assigned trading area, with our regional share of segment outpacing the nation by over 25%.