To re-launch the icon in the category, the Defender needed to stand out, maintaining the gutsiness and raw capabilities of a vehicle born out of purpose that has transcended time and outlived other products to become an icon, while simultaneously appealing to drivers in the modern age.

We needed to break through the branded content ‘sea of sameness’ and create a campaign that embodied the same qualities of freedom and exploration that made Defender the ultimate symbol for the ages.

Strategy

Standing out

When Land Rover last sold the Defender in North America in 1997, it was known as the vehicle for explorers and adventurous types. In the 23 years since, automakers flooded the SUV category with off-road vehicles, who all went to market with stories of adventure.

Relaunching the Defender in 2020 meant we couldn’t just make a film about adventure. We needed to actually have an adventure.

Expect the unexpected

For this campaign, we enlisted Grammy Award winning musician, John Mayer. John, a defender fanatic, suggested going outside and “seeing what happens”.

So along with a handful of loosely-planned scenes, a couple of colourful supporting characters, and absolutely no script, we took to the outdoors.

Results

The risk paid off

The best films are about the moments you don’t plan for, and what we got was better than anything we could have mapped out. Something that didn’t feel like a celebrity endorsement. Something that felt authentic to the Defender.

top of mind premium and rugged SUV

+35%

brand recall

Over 2X

defender sales since the last release