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.
