Pennzoil : Mario Kart Reimagined
We were tasked with helping Pennzoil launch a first-of-its-kind synthetic motor oil made from natural gas, the first true innovation in motor oil in more than 35 years. Pennzoil needed to shift perceptions of the brand from an old, conventional motor oil to a cutting-edge, technology-focused, synthetic motor oil brand. So we used the Pennzoil brand and technology to inspire the most innovative media outlets help tell the world about Pennzoil’s new motor oil. We did that by teaming up with Nintendo’s classic Mario Kart to bring the video game to life as a live activation at SXSW. Titled “Mario Karting Reimagined,” the experience gave people a chance to interact with the brand and "feel" the benefits of the product first hand. Our insight was to allow people to experience the benefits of Pennzoil’s new technology in a reimagined way. Making Pennzoil’s intangible innovation seem tangible and giving consumers a reason to interact with a brand they normally wouldn’t think twice about, ultimately shifting perceptions of what Pennzoil was capable of achieving.
Results: The experience generated more than 1 billion earned media impressions with 90% of the coverage coming from major cultural influencers who were writing about Pennzoil for the very first time: CNN, Fast Company, Wired, Billboard, Popular Science, etc. The story made it to the front page of Yahoo.com and was even featured on the late night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! We achieved the impossible and got people talking about motor oil, generating more than 53 million Twitter impressions. Even the Myth Busters tweeted about it. Pennzoil’s volume within the SXSW conversation was 72% higher than the next highest competitor, American Express. We ended up creating one of the most successful product launches in the history of SXSW, putting Pennzoil and their new technology on the same stage as Twitter.
