Discover
DAF wanted a multi-faceted advertising campaign to improve their brand presence and identity in the UK.
DAF is a major European manufacturer of commercial vehicles and the market leader in each sector of the HGV market in the UK. They are also the only HGV company to build trucks in the UK, at the most advanced assembly plant in Europe: Leyland Trucks in Lancashire.
We identified the need to build an emotional connection between the trucks and the owners/drivers, building on industry research findings, which proved that drivers preferred the DAF cab and driver experience over competitors’ products.
Our planning and research identified that current advertising had remained in the same style for some years, with generic messaging successfully communicating the quality of the DAF product. However, our insight and research revealed two key elements were not fully addressed. The first was the importance of the role played by the network of DAF dealers across the UK and the excellent service they provide. The second was the emotional connection drivers had with the brand.
Create
After identifying three key messaging strands, we created 20 advertising executions, each focusing on a DAF USP. These told the story of why DAF held market share in the UK, providing appropriate messaging strands for the client’s different audiences including drivers, operators and procurement managers.
Alongside the creative work, we undertook a full review of industry publications and devised a new schedule incorporating a more strategic rotation plan.
Delivery
The campaign was implemented across the relevant advertising platforms during 2016, during which time sales of DAF trucks in the UK increased significantly, growing their market share. The campaign continues to run, with our team now managing the ongoing media bookings with publications.
Several elements from the UK advertising campaign have since been adopted by DAF Eindhoven and these have been used across Europe as part of the DAF Europe advertising strategy.
