Leo Burnetts's Rebhan Talks Pontiac G5 Launch At Ad Club Luncheon
GRAND RAPIDS – Mark Rebhan, from Leo Burnett in Detroit, will talk next week about how his ad agency handled the digital launch of the Pontiac G5 last June, the first program in the Ad Club of West Michigan's 2007 line up.
The meeting will be held Jan. 17 at 11:30 am at the BOB in downtown Grand Rapids. Reservations deadline is Jan. 13.
Last spring, Pontiac came to Leo Burnett to launch the new G5 coupe in June. Burnett said, “OK, but we’re already way behind for a national TV campaign.” Pontiac replied, “That’s OK, since there’s no budget for national TV. What can you do for regional media in a couple of weeks?” Burnett said, “Let us do some research.”
The Burnett team dug in, and by the time they learned about the car and its target consumer, the question had changed from, “What about TV?” to, “TV? Who needs TV?”
Just six weeks into the campaign, G5 sales exceeded August goals by 185 percent - in a campaign that cost 60 to 70 percent less than a traditional car launch.
How did Leo Burnett and Pontiac do it? They went digital. By taking the digital highway, potential G5 buyers are able to take a virtual test drive—and Pontiac can deliver a branding experience that resonates. “Pontiac's campaign may not generate as much awareness as TV, but what it lacks in breadth it will make up in depth, targeting deep into the younger male demographic for the niche model,” writes AdAge.
The G5 strategy isn’t Mark’s first-time launch. He developed the launch strategy for the 2004 Ford F150, as well as three other Ford launches, and the launch strategy for the 2006 Pontiac Solstice, including “The Apprentice” integration.
He developed the Buick Classic and New England Classic PGA Tour title-sponsorships for Buick, and in 2000, developed, launched and executed two most successful promotions in Buick history, LeSabre “Free Gas for a Year” and the “Buick Golf Dream House” promotion. And by the way, he initiated the Tiger Woods/Buick relationship.
Mark Rebhan joined Leo Burnett Detroit in July, 2004 as a senior vice-president in Research and Development, after four years at J Walter Thompson, where he was a Senior Partner and Director of Account Planning. Thompson was his first ad agency experience after a lengthy career at GM, which began in 1985 as a technical writer for GM’s Rochester Products Division in Grand Rapids, MI. He grew up in Flint, MI, and graduated from Hope College in 1985 with a double major in Business and English.
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