automotive

Buick Extends Lifestyle Focus With '40-Under-40'

Buick-40in40

Buick is promoting its Regal sedan through a new integrated campaign that is being executed under the auspices of a partnership the automaker has made with Time Inc. Advertising Sales & Marketing and Time Warner Global Media Group.

The program makes Buick the sponsor of "40 Under 40," a cross-title editorial package that takes a Fortune Magazine staple to Entertainment Weekly, Golf, Sports Illustrated, Time and American Express Publishing's Food & Wine. The idea is that each of the magazines will extol the virtues of people under 40 years old who are leaders in the magazines' respective verticals.

The publisher says the campaign will exceed 100 million consumers across print, online and social media venues. In addition to promoting Regal, Buick is using the program to further its cause-marketing effort "Buick Driving Good."

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The editorial appears in the magazines as a Regal-branded gatefold with one of the ads directing readers to the Buick Driving Good: 40 Ways in Under 40 Minutes Facebook page, which suggests 40 ways that people can make a difference in their communities. Buick says that for every "like" received the automaker will donate $1, up to $40,000 to Feeding America, a national food bank.

Buick will also advertise Regal across CNNMoney.com, EW.com, Foodandwine.com, Golf.com, SI.com, and Time.com, and the companies say Buick will be the official auto sponsor of a Fortune Magazine event celebrating its 40 Under 40 honorees in New York City on Oct. 19.

The new effort extends a major theme in Buick marketing: lifestyle. The company is in the midst of a national "Cultural Discovery" tour co-sponsored by Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure magazines.

The automaker has been on a near-vertical sales trajectory since last year, when it began rolling out new products and market initiatives aimed at revitalizing brand perception and positioning itself as a Lexus fighter. The company saw a nearly 100% increase in retail sales last month versus a year ago. September was the 12th month in a row of year-over-year retail sales increases for the brand.

The company says that 42% of all sales for its LaCrosse, Enclave and Regal vehicles are coming from consumers who don't own vehicles made by any of the General Motors brands. Buick reported that sales of the LaCrosse at dealerships (versus fleet) were up 182% for the month and 184% for the year. Enclave saw an 89% increase in retail sales versus the month last year.

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