Lubricant maker Castrol has found an innovative way to generate awareness among the target audience for its motorcycle lube brand Castrol Power I. It has partnered with Bates Sercon to develop an interactive gaming application on YouTube.
The user is the hero in the game and needs to use Castrol Power 1 to deliver the kind of acceleration needed to overcome different challenging situations. It gives the user the thrill of acceleration, the feeling of being in control of different situations, and being the hero.
The game has three levels with an interesting storyline, and the purpose of the game is to show the efficacy of the engine oil. The promise for the bikers: The new Power Release Formula of Castrol Power 1 delivers superior acceleration at the touch of the throttle.
Rajesh Ghatge, CEO, Bates Sercon, who conceptualised the app, believes that Castrol Power 1’s target consumers would love the exhilaration of the ride and the freedom and the control that comes with it. “To bring out the product functionality and engage the core target group, we developed the interactive gaming application and integrated it with the existing above the line activities,” he adds.
Ghatge says such a move was necessary to create excitement around an otherwise staid product. “Interactivity is the buzz these days; we want to connect with more and more people who would help spread the word. Given the product category — an engine oil used in two-wheelers — we had to choose a medium where our audience would be present. The game upholds the nimble and fast forward attitude of the youth today,” Ghatge elaborates.
The campaign has so far been well received with more than 1 million engagements/channel views with the average time spent on the channel being around 1.24 minutes, according to the agency. The game is executed in flash and is loaded as a “takeover” of the YouTube page. The YouTube takeover was planned and devised “to highlight superior acceleration and performance”— probably a first of its kind campaign from India.
Ghatge says that the YouTube app takes Castrol’s above-the-line promotion to the next level. “Interactivity is the focal point of the campaign and the differentiator from the earlier ads,” he explains. The campaign targets the three key countries of Indonesia, Vietnam and India.
“Penetration of the digital medium and its usage in the region are growing and so it is in our interest to develop new and innovative ways of engaging with the audience. Instead of doing three different campaigns which would’ve been adaptations from one original idea, we have decided to bank on just one campaign that can connect with the digital population of the entire region,” concludes Ghatge.
