• by Larissa Faw , January 3, 2017

Mitsubishi is expanding its 2017 Outlander campaign with an effort called "Kids Talk Safety."

The auto brand’s “Kids” campaign extension follows what it said were positive responses to the main creative promoting the vehicle's safety features from consumers and its dealer network.  

Developed with agency Omelet, the new effort includes two 15-second spots running on national TV channels and high-profile sports games on ESPN and ABC, a spot for dealer usage, as well as coloring books and crayons for dealer showrooms.

The premise: Since safety can sometimes sound complicated or full of jargon, the creative features children explaining the Mitsubishi innovations in their own words.

For instance, one boy uses vampires and werewolves to discuss the advantages of the rear safety video and blind spot warning. Another spot showcases Outlander’s forward collision mitigation technology.

"We gave each kid simple definitions of about five safety features before we started filming, but let them know they should use their own descriptions and imaginations," says Grant Holland, chief creative officer, Omelet. "We encouraged them to have fun, and if they said something interesting, we encouraged them to explore that direction more.

"Basically, we gave them guardrails, but allowed them to talk about whatever came to mind. And as you can tell, they had no problem letting their imaginations run wild."

Letting kids be kids turned out to be easier than expected, says Holland. "We didn't have scripts for them to follow. They could say whatever they wanted, and we let the cameras roll. It was actually a lot fun."

"While we targeted a couple of audiences - in-market and families - as well as three different creatives, our third-row seating creative resonated most with families and had the strongest engagement rate and completed views than the others tested," says Francine Harsini, senior director of marketing, Mitsubishi Motors North America.

"This helps further prove the value story that the Mitsubishi Outlander can offer to families who are looking for a safe, efficient, and still sizable vehicle," she added.

Mitsubishi’s Outlander Sport small/midsize CUV was the brand’s best seller in the U.S. in 2015, with sales up 19% from 2014, according to Wards Auto. The automaker says that it expects to sell more than 100,000 units in the U.S. in 2016. An all-electric Outlander Sport is expected to launch in 2020.

"We feel this campaign has legs, and we can build on this creative concept moving forward," says Harsini. "The 'kids' are adorable, but were also perfect at highlighting the safety features on the Outlander in their own words."