Agency
Spark44
Producer
Chris Hook
Director
Matt Hopkins

For a company with the history and pedigree of Land Rover, imagining a new way to tell the brand’s story is a challenge. For international agency Spark44, the challenge brought them deep into the Himalayas along the India-Nepal border for a look at a unique moment in time, and an entire community’s relationship with Land Rover.

Dan Drage, Spark44’s Global Content Director, spoke with the Travel Video Awards to discuss the development of “The Land of Land Rovers” campaign, and its worldwide success.

What is the approach and goal of the “The Land of Land Rovers” video? How does it interact with the larger Land Rover brand as a whole?

Dan Drage: The approach of this piece is to capture and document a moment in time that will shortly be lost forever.

There is a special place in the world where a disbanded tea plantation left all their work-horse Land Rover vehicles to the local community. They’ve quickly become the lifeline of the community, keeping them connected to the outside world.

Our approach was to show how real this world is and how much the people of the community rely on their Land Rovers to survive.

The Land Rover brand represents the ultimate in heritage and capability. This story is a perfect example of both these things. The local people customize, repair and love their Land Rovers and that feeling of connection to their four-wheeled friends is what shines through.

Who is the target audience for your digital content?

DD: The target audience is brand fans.  We wanted them to know that around the world, in the most surprising corners of the globe, many people have a deep connection to their beloved Land Rovers.

What is your selection process like when choosing partners to work with? Are you involved in the development of the video itself?

DD:
We look to work with the partners that have the best skills, expertise and experience to help us deliver our projects. For this film, we selected a production house from the UK who are known for their documentary filmmaking. Working with them closely, a small crew traveled to the remote area.  Access is challenging and a small crew was the best way to get into the region. Fortunately, we had Land Rovers at our disposal to help us tackle the terrain.

If you are involved in the development, how do you find and decide on the stories you tell in your content?

DD: We believe great ideas can come from anywhere in our network. This particular piece came from our local office in Mumbai. They had heard about a change in policy that meant the Land Rovers might lose their permits. So we wanted to get the film made quickly and share the story with the rest of the world before it was lost forever.  

How do you measure and track the success of a video?

DD: We measured success in both sentiment, brand mentions and views across all platforms. Locally and globally, millions of people watched and engaged with this content series.

How are consumers interacting with your video?

DS: Consumers across the globe have responded with such positivity to this piece. They react to it as a very real love story that perfectly embodies the spirit of Land Rover.

What role does video content play in your overall marketing and brand strategy?

DD: Video content is at the absolute forefront of our approach because we want to excite and entertain our fans, while also sharing key product information.