Suzuki Defies Category Conventions with the ‘Best Kept Secret on the Road’

Suzuki has unveiled its integrated campaign for the new Suzuki Swift.

Created by integrated creative agency TMW, the campaign builds upon the brand’s Good Different platform. Whilst other automotive ads have become increasingly formulaic, Suzuki and TMW have built a campaign that stands out from the sea of sameness, with a fun and audacious creative idea that hides the product instead of heroing it.

Running across TV, digital, OOH, social and radio, the work focuses on the idea that the Suzuki Swift is the ‘best secret on the road’. Only a small number of drivers own one, and those who do would rather keep it that way.

Just as there’s magic in being in the know about a fantastic local restaurant, Swift drivers are happy to enjoy their little secret; a small car, packed with style, tech and spec as standard. But Good Different isn’t different at all if everyone has one, so the creative highlights the lengths Swift owners will go to keep the model’s brilliance under wraps.

The TVC features a variety of proud owners hiding their beloved cars from anyone who may see and want one for themselves. We see a woman covering her Swift in autumn leaves, another turning off a streetlight to keep it in the dark, and a man parking his behind a perfectly trimmed hedge in the shape of a Swift.

The press and OOH executions present Swift owners as taking matters into their own hands, with the car appearing to have been torn out of press ads or graffitied over on billboards. On radio and social, the owners do their best to sabotage the ads, showing only pictures on radio, or reversing the car out of frame.

In addition to handling above-the-line creative, TMW is also responsible for CRM. Its in-house production team, Move Studio, produced the campaign in collaboration with Stink Films and Traktor.

Media buying and strategy was handled by the7stars for TV, radio and OOH, and Jellyfish for digital and social.

This marks TMW’s first campaign following its appointment after a competitive pitch earlier this year. As Suzuki’s flagship model, the Swift plays a key role in driving the perception of the overall brand.

Alex Key, general manager (marketing), Suzuki said, “We knew from the start that we didn’t want another car ad that was just a drive through a city or sweeping down a mountain. We knew we had to do something different to stand out. We brought in TMW to help us create a challenger campaign that is Good Different, just like our cars. Putting our current and future owners at the heart of our ad, we decided to build some intrigue and be the first car brand to hide the cars rather than flaunt them.”

Graeme Noble, chief creative officer, TMW said, “Just as nobody wants their favourite pub to be taken over by hordes of TikTokers, owners of the Swift are happy for their cars to remain the best kept secret on the road. There’s power in mystery, and that’s a lever that’s rarely been pulled in this market. We tried to have a bit of a fun with this, and find different ways to execute the concept across every channel. Happily, we think the ads match the car – good, and different.”