THE 2014 RANGE ROVER EVOQUE CHASES "THE SCENT"

Today, Land Rover debuts its new, more technically-advanced 2014 Range Rover Evoque with a stunning new TV ad, called “The Scent”, created by Y&R, MJZ, and award-winning director Dante Ariola.

Ken Bracht, Communications Manager, Land Rover North America, explains how, the new commercial helps demonstrate how the Range Rover Evoque can overcome almost any urban obstacle.

What is the story line for the new Range Rover Evoque TV spot?
The location is an ancient village just outside Barcelona. The plot starts when a man finds a beautiful scarf on the street and his faithful hound leads him on a wild chase to find the owner. Down steps, through water, across cobblestones, there’s nowhere the dog can go that the new Range Rover Evoque can’t follow.

What’s the message you are aiming to deliver?
The message that we’re trying to deliver with this new spot is that you have this beautifully capable vehicle that, if called on, can cut its own path through almost any environment. We wanted to pull together all the key qualities and attributes of our newest Range Rover Evoque - its amazing capability, its versatility in an urban environment, its dynamic design and luxurious interior - and showcase them in an entertaining story.

Why does the ad work?
The ad works because it lets us show there is, in fact, a purpose behind our featured character taking the vehicle off-road in the city environment. He’s following his dog in pursuit of the woman which gives him a reason to take this challenging path through the city. Who doesn’t like a charming dog?

Who created the ad?
Our agency, Y&R led the production and worked with MJZ and the Land Rover North America marketing team. It will eventually be shown globally, which is why we picked Barcelona for the location and hired international actors - the lead actor is from Berlin, and the lead actress is from Eastern Europe, while the dog, Fosca (a pointer), is from the Czech Republic. Fosca even has her own passport.

Why did you decide to use Dante Ariola to direct the spot?
Simple, he’s one of the best directors out there. He’s directed some iconic spots for Coca-Cola, Nike, Levis and Jim Beam to name just a few. We also worked with him on an on-line interactive film called ‘Race The Sun’, that debuted in October featuring our all-new Range Rover Sport. He is brilliant at bringing a story to life.

There’s a great deal of new technology with the 2014 Range Rover Evoque, including a new 9-speed transmission. Why not tell a technology story instead?
We focus on what the product stands for. At its very core, a Land Rover is capable, and that is very much the focus here, but done so in a way that hasn’t been done before, which we think will make it stand out. Our target audience is sophisticated, if they are shopping for a vehicle and want to find out about a specific technology, they’ll visit our website.

That’s a stunning color for the Range Rover Evoque featured in the ad. Is it new?
Yes, it’s a brand new color for 2014 that we call Zanzibar. We are only offering it on the Range Rover Evoque and the Land Rover LR2. The Range Rover Evoque we use in the new spot also features a special Black Pack that includes black-finished 20-inch alloys. There’s no question that it’s really the star of the show.

We all want to know, at the end of the spot, does the guy get the girl and are you setting us up for a sequel?
Our hero is a perfect gentleman. For him, returning the scarf is satisfaction enough. As for a sequel, I don’t think so. Part of the charm is that we don’t know what happens next.