• by Karl Greenberg , August 3, 2010

Shell is launching a new marketing campaign to promote its nitrogen-enriched gasolines. It centers on Shell's status as official fuel of Hachette Filipacchi Media titles Car and Driver and Road & Track.

The deal includes a proviso that all vehicle testing and evaluations by these publications use Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines, including Shell V-Power. Shell says the deal with the magazines will include point-of-purchase materials and radio and online ads, in combination with consumer giveaways and promotions.

The third-quarter point-of-purcahse program at Shell stations across the U.S. includes a subscription offer coupon for both books.*

Shell is also dangling free fuel for a year for eight sweepstakes winners via a promotion with Car and Driver. The "Free Fuel for a Year" includes $50,000 in Shell Gift Cards for daily winners over the eight-week period of the promo, which starts Sept. 6.

The new program is part of an agreement signed last August that also includes Cycle World. It gives Shell advertising real estate in the publications and puts Shell logos on places like editorial data test panels featured in each magazine, indicating that Shell is the official fuel provider. Hachette's editorial teams will also provide content for Shell's Web sites and promotional literature.

Shell began promoting nitrogen-enriched fuels last year as part of its "Passionate Experts" campaign with a major ad push on cable channels like USA, Discovery, ESPN, Speed, Oxygen and A&E.

The effort has humorous ads featuring slightly zany white-coated scientists talking to customers at gas stations about the benefits of nitrogen as an engine-cleaning additive. A Web campaign -- also featuring the scientists -- takes visitors into virtual labs, garages and test areas, where the geeks explain why nitrogen-enriched fuel cleans your engine.

Gerardo Amado, Shell fuels marketing manager, tells Marketing Daily that the program includes educational marketing on Shell's own U.S. fuels Web site that discusses how nitrogen-enriched fuels work. "We are coming together with the firm belief that high-quality products are very important for drivers and that all gasolines are not the same. Our site is designed to be a consumer-education tool with product demonstrations."

Zvia Herrmann, VP of brand development for Car and Driver and Road and Track, explains that the deal includes media space for Shell on several platforms. "It includes advertising in the magazines, a presence in radio and on our Web sites. That was important for communicating the key messaging from Shell to our readers." She points out that the first ad when the partnership began featured one of the Shell scientists holding issues of Car and Driver, Road and Track and Cycle World.

"The connection is important because testing is our core competency," says Hermann. "The fact that we are using Shell fuels in testing means more consistent results and, for our consumers, that is critical." Hermann says the total net audience among the three magazines is 14 million.

Amado adds that the campaign reaches more than auto enthusiasts because readers of the three buff books are opinion leaders. "For us, having the experts choose Shell helps us reinforce for consumers why consumers should choose Shell. Ninety-two percent of these readers are opinion leaders in their communities," he says. "On an average, every year they give advice 18 times. They are a very engaged consumer base and very influential."

Shell has sold 20.6 billion gallons of nitrogen-enriched fuels since launch, per Amado. "We have also seen a jump of 9% in the number of drivers who choose to buy fuel based on product quality," he says. Amado says Shell is the only major brand to increase brand share from last year to this year.

* Editor's note: The story was amended post-publication.