Range Rover is using art and design, coupled with a cross-channel paid, owned and earned media campaign, as part of the launch effort behind its 2013 SUV.

The body of the new model is all aluminum -- a first for an SUV, per the carmaker. Range Rover also claims that using the all-aluminum design makes the vehicle both stronger and lighter. 

On Friday, June 7 the company will unveil a one-of-a-kind art installation called “Climbing Up” in New York City to illustrate the point -- a roughly fifteen-foot sculpture displaying the new vehicle atop an industrial-looking base designed to make the SUV appear to be in flight.

The campaign was orchestrated by the auto marketer’s media shop Mindshare, a unit of WPP’s GroupM. Mindshare brought in Architectural Digest -- a Conde Nast publication that was key to multiple aspects of the project.

AD reached out to the architect and design firm Hollwich Kushner (HWKN), which designed the sculpture. (It was constructed by Toronto-based building firm Acer.)

Danielle Koffer, managing director at Mindshare, says the “Climbing Up” project illustrates how vendor relationships can mean more than just buying ads. “Vendors bring equity to the table that we can borrow,” she said.

“We knew that the team at HWKN were up to the challenge [Range Rover parent] Land Rover gave us,” said Giulio Capua, vice president and publisher of Architectural Digest. Capua added that the sculpture HWKN designed “makes an emotional connection with our design-focused community, while conveying the essence of the Land Rover brand.” 

Range Rover took out a four-page insert in the May edition of the magazine that goes into detail about the art installation and what it’s designed to convey. AD also shot videos of the designers providing their thoughts on and inspiration for the sculpture. Those videos are accessible online via AD and other Conde Nast platforms.

There is also a social media tie-in via Pinterest, YouTube and other sites.

“The all-aluminum structure of the 2013 Range Rover allowed Land Rover to shed 700 pounds from the outgoing model making it faster and more fuel efficient,” said Kim McCullough, brand vice president, Land Rover North America. The public art installation, she added, “speaks to the physical properties of high-strength aluminum, as well as the design aesthetic of the 2013 Range Rover -- and we're excited to see how it draws attention and discussion to our next-generation Range Rover.”

According to Ken Bracht, Land Rover communications manager, New York was selected to unveil the sculpture because it’s the largest market globally for the Range Rover.

The art installation, he added, will help the automaker communicate a third talking point with the consumer -- the carmaker’s focus on design. Previous messaging has focused primarily on capability and refinement, he said.

The sculpture is open to the public in New York for just the coming weekend. It will travel to company events later in the year, including auto shows in Toronto and Montreal and a tournament at California’s Pebble Beach golf course.