The hybrid graphic novel

A comic-book heroine driven by hybrid powers.

THE STORY

How can you tell a simple yet innovative story to promote a complex technology to a non-car-specialist target audience? This is the challenge we faced when Peugeot asked us to communicate their latest hybrid engines system. So instead of listing all the technical specifications, we decided to show the adventure of a heroine utilizing the four driving modes of the HYbrid4 technology. We teamed up with Gerald Parel, famous for his Marvel comics cover illustrations, to bring the HYbrid4 technology to life through what we called ‘The Hybrid Graphic Novel’

Like Peugeot’s HYbrid4 technology, The Hybrid Graphic Novel had to take the form of an innovative and hybrid object. To deliver on this promise, our objective was to lean upon the hybridization of traditional comic book and digital screen experience, along with the hybridization of desktop and mobile devices. To do so, we built an experience with HTML5/CSS3 technology which allowed us to create a scrollable narrative story that adapts itself to all devices. Whether you’re reading the graphic novel on a web browser or on your tablet, the result always looks smooth and stunning.

Check out the full story on: http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/campaigns/peugeot-the-hybrid-graphic-novel.html

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Peugeot shuns TV for social media launching RCZ R campaign on Vine

POSTED BY GILLIAN WEST

Peugeot has shunned TV advertising by choosing to launch its RCZ R campaign using Vine.

The social media platform was chosen by the brand as it mirrors the 0-60mph capability of the new model, with the campaign itself developed by creative agency BD Network.

Of the campaign, BD Network business director, Shelia Buchet, said: “We wanted to break with conventions and create a new design code for the car that would provide customers with a new and surprising memory of the Peugeot brand. The R-rated campaign is about pushing life to the limits and we feel that as a team we embraced this. We hope consumers embrace it too.”

A teaser campaign, made up of a series of nine 5.9” videos, showcases the cars 0-60mph rate. Of those nine videos, the first four don’t even feature the car, but instead focus on artists/performers working within their field of expertise as an emotional expression of the RCZ R.

The boxer symbolises power and performance; the artist, design and technique; beauty and seduction is represented by the dancers, and the chef stands for expertise and precision. The following five teasers focus on a key stylistic or performance attribute of the car, filmed from a tightly cropped angle.

In addition to the six second Vine executions Peugeot has also created 15 second iterations for Instagram, both giving glimpses of the car but never showing it in its entirety as the whole car will be revealed in a 60” film airing on YouTube on 11 February.

BD Network designed the videos with sharing across social channels specifically in mind, though the videos will also feature in the Peugeot online showroom.

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Peugeot recycles video content for augmented reality mobile app to give it more practical reach

POSTED BY ANGELA HAGGERTY

Peugeot has launched an augmented reality mobile app which offers drivers tips and advice about their car.

The app was designed by Stack to make the car brand’s ‘Top Tips’ video series more useful for drivers who encounter problems like a punctured tyre. The app offers video demonstrations on how to solve problems and the app responds to movement. For example, pointing a mobile device towards the car tyre brings up relevant videos.

Morgan Lecoupeur, marketing director at Peugeot, said: “Top tips is a clear demonstration of our continued ambition to take advantage of new digital technologies to support our customers and create seamless customer experience across every touchpoint.”

Liz Wilson, CEO at Stack, added: “The beauty of the Top Tips app is that we’ve taken existing online content and made it more useful, accessible and relevant to drivers by adding augmented reality to allow them to search and access films easily.”

The app launch is supported by a digital campaign across email, the MyPeugeot website and the brand’s social media channels.

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Peugeot hits the road with 308 promotional roadshow 'Driving Sensations' using Oculus Rift 3D headset

POSTED BY GILLIAN WEST

The roadshow will soft launch at Birmingham's Gadget Show

Peugeot is kicking off a two-month national roadshow to encourage test drives of its new 308 Hatchback as part of an experiential campaign created by Initials.

Commencing with a soft launch at the Gadget Show on 9-13 April at Birmingham’s NEC, the full experience will then progress around the UK taking in a further five destinations.

Touring major shopping centres ‘Driving Sensations’ aims to challenge perceptions of the Peugeot brand and position the 308 as a contender for the VW Golf, Ford Focus and Audi A3.

Of the activity, Victoria Scargill, manager brand advertising, partnerships and sponsorships at Peugeot said: “The new 308 truly embodies the brand’s values of excellence and is already making its mark in the market. The Driving Sensations tour will look to build on this success by allowing consumers to understand the thrill of driving the new 308 as well as appreciating its impeccable design and quality throughout. Initials has created an imaginative roadshow that will bring this award-winning car to the people and immerse them in its world.”

Taking cues from the 308 TV advertising, visitors are presented with three sensory zones that illustrate the excitement and emotional exhilaration of the 308 with the primary experience making use of the Oculus Rift 3D headset.

The two other experience zones further demonstrate the 308’s allure, with Arcstream AV partnering with Initials on all three experiences.

Phil Norris, Initials senior communications director, added: “With the Peugeot 308 recently being named as the European Car of the Year 2014, the time couldn’t be better to open people’s eyes to the fact that the new 308 provides a sensational driving experience. To do that, we have devised a campaign that avoids the standard approach of automotive roadshows and involves visitors in an exciting participatory event that also conveys the real essence of what it’s like to drive the 308.”

Following the Gadget Show the roadshow will hit Metro Centre in Gateshead on the 25-27 April; Arndale shopping centre, Manchester, 9-11 May; Bullring in Birmingham , 23-26 May; Westfield London, 6-8 June and Westfield Stratford, 13-15 June.

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Peugeot: Don't Air Guitar & Drive

Y&R Sao Paulo has released a new print ad, boasting the ultimate generation sound in the latest Peugeot 207.

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Peugeot Launches #KickItToBrazil: A World Cup Inspired Campaign

Stephen Goldasz

The French car manufacturer Peugeot is launching a new online social media campaign called 'Kick it to Brazil' which will see a single football travel across five continents. 

In the build up to the next football World Cup tournament in Brazil, starting this June, Peugeot is inviting pass a football around on an exceptional global journey.

The special football has already been “kicked-off" this month at Paris. It will travel around the globe crossing more than 30 countries and just as many borders in just 100 days.

It will be passed from person to person with the aid of various Peugeot vehicles. Cars which will be used to transport the special football will include the Peugeot 2008 and the Peugeot 3008.

The 2008 is a stylish urban crossover based on the Peugeot 208 supermini, currently priced from £12,995. The 3008, priced from £16,645, is a larger family crossover model which delivers impressive practicality and is available with a diesel-electric hybrid powertrtain.

Other methods of transport will be used including bicycles, motorcycles and planes to help Peugeot’s special football complete its journey.

At each step of the way, those who come into contact with the football will be able to share their unique experience on specially dedicated Facebook and Instagram pages.

Social media users will be able to follow the campaign with the tag line #KickItToBrazil.

The football at the centre of Peugeot’s campaign will be the car brand’s link between it and its fans. Peugeot will invite its fans to choose what happens next or to come and meet the “Kick it to Brazil" team in order to personally interact with them on a day to day basis.

Each country the football visits will host events which will often be improvised, depending on the creativity of the people involved. Also each day, a short video clip will be generated and uploaded on facebook and the Kick it to Brazil campaign website.

The special football will finish its travels as part of Peugeot’s campaign on 12th June 2014 in the Brazilian Amazon. It finishes travelling on the same day the FIFA World Cup in Brazil begins with its first match.

During the Kick it to Brazil campign, Peugeot is also promoting the “One kiss, One Tree" project. For each image that is uploaded of a person kissing the football, the French car maker will contribute to its Forestry Carbon Sink project in Brazil by planting additional trees.

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the first twenty pibal bikes by philippe starck arrive in france

  in 2012, philippe stark and peugeot announced that they would be collaborating on the development of an electric two-wheeler for the city of bordeaux’s bike sharing program (see designboom’s coverage of the design in its initial concept phase here). on november 8th, 2013, the first 20 bikes of the ‘pibal’ pre-series were distributed to the citizens of the french city to test out and share their impressions.

philippe starck with the pibal bike

over the last 10 years the number of inhabitants commuting by bike in bordeaux has tripled, spawning the project to provide the citizens with an alternative public transportation system. the hybrid design is suitable for urban use, enhancing people’s mobility through starck’s proposed ergonomic– it features rim guards, along with yellow tires, an automatic two-speed hub, comfortable seating and handles and a convenient foot rest which allows you to motor along as if you were on a scooter.

at the beginning of 2014, 4000 pibal bikes will be available for loan from the city, promoting the practice and sustainability of cycling as a means of getting around.

alain juppé, mayor of bordeaux with philippe starck

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Peugot Cars: Crash Mobile Ad

Mobile ad that simulates an interactive test drive.The user sees the image of the panel, as if he was inside a moving car. Then a message appears on the screen "Test Drive. Feel the thrill of driving a turbo car" and the symbol showing how to interact. Once the movement in the tablet begins, a field appears on the screen asking the user to enter his name to start the experiment. When the user starts typing, after the second character is typed, a car appears, coming in the opposite direction. Within seconds, there is a huge car crash.Then a message appears on the screen: "Don't text while driving. Drive responsibly ", and the Peugeot logo supporting the cause.Agency Y&R Sao Paulo 

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Wagons evolving to attract customers

Based on article from Korea Times June 9th, 2013

For many, station wagons do not sound attractive, as they were traditionally far from being stylish; probably due to their emphasis on practicality.

Sedans have long dominated the local market but the demand for more various types of vehicles have led automakers to launch various station wagons here, which have better looks and upgraded features to satisfy sophisticated drivers.

Station wagons are often marketed with different nameplates such as “touring” by BMW, “shooting break” by Mercedes-Benz and “break” by Citroen, as many automakers want to give their estate models a different and new image from the conventional boxy and ugly.

The followings are station wagon models equipped with diesel engines that are available here.

BMW 3 Series Touring

 

BMW

BMW Korea is the most active brand in introducing wagon models here.

Last year, it introduced the new 3 Series touring models to attract drivers who seek efficiency and practicality as well as premium features.

Two variants of the new 3 Series Touring are now available ― the 320d and the 320d M Sports Package, priced at 50.7 million won and 58.5 million won, respectively.

BMW Korea plans to soon add the 5 Series Touring models, which were first introduced here at the Busan Motor Show last year. Its price tag is 76.7 million won.

The idea behind a station wagon is to offer the comfort of a sedan with enough space for long journeys. But the German automaker also guarantees pure driving pleasure with its models.

The BMW 3 Series Touring combines versatility and innovative technology for a superbly sporty performance. Its turbo diesel engine offers high dynamics and efficiency with a fuel economy of 17.5 kilometers per liter. The boot also has plenty of room ― from 450 liters to 1,500 liters when the rear seat is folded down.

The BMW 525d xDrive Touring also features a strong yet elegant 2.0 diesel engine that can produce 218 horsepower, while its fuel efficiency stands at 16.0 km/l. It also has four-wheel drive, and a boot that can be expanded to 1,670 liters from 560, depending on the various rear seat arrangements.

Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz sells the most expensive model on the local market with its new CLS Shooting Brake priced at 89 million won.

Since it is a modified version based on the four-door coupe CLS, it is also one of the most stylish and elegant on the market.

Mercedes introduced the original CLS in 2004 to create a new market niche ― the four-door coupe, and it upped the ante by introducing the CLS Shooting Brake, essentially a long, low estate car designed to make its rivals look square.

In this sense, the luxury automaker does not want the model to be categorized as an estate but to be called a coupe with a “liftgate.”

It comes with four cylinder 2,143 diesel turbo engine, which can generate 204 horsepower.
 

                                    Hyundai i40


Hyundai Motor

Hyundai Motor launched its first Avante Touring in 1995, based on the body of popular Avante sedan. The first ambitious trial to sell an estate car here turned out to be a failure due to its awkward design.

But the automaker has launched the all-new i40 wagon here after its success in Europe. The i40 is available in two forms ― saloon and estate.

Designed and engineered at the company's European R&D headquarters in Germany, the i40 has moved Hyundai towards a “modern premium” positioning on the continent, providing consumers with high-end features and vehicle quality at accessible prices.

It represents an evolution of Hyundai's unique “fluidic sculpture” form, creating a sleek, elegant wagon with uncompromised comfort and load capacity.

Its cargo capacity ranges from 553 liters to 1,719 liters with the rear seats folded down.

The all-new Hyundai i40 comes with either a 1.7-liter diesel or 2.0-liter gasoline engine.

The biggest advantage of the i40 wagon is affordability. Its prices range from 26 million won to 32 million won.


 

                                     Peugeot 508 SW Allure

Peugeot

Peugeot is best known for its high fuel efficiency here, and the French automaker’s estate models are no exception.

With the success of Peugeot 308 sedan, the firm has launched the five-door hatchback, the SW estate and the CC coupe convertible.

The Peugeot 308 SW e-Hdi’s fuel economy is very impressive at 18.1 km/l. The cargo capacity can be expanded to 2,149 liter from 674 liters depending on rear seat arrangements. It is priced at 33.9 million won.

The Peugeot 508 SW Allure is an impressive all-rounder. It may not be quite as sharp to drive as the saloon version, but comfort and luxury are top-notch and it certainly feels built to last.

Its 2.0-liter Hdi engine can generate 163 horsepower with a fuel efficiency of 14.8 km/l.

It is priced at 48.9 million won.

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Peugeot Motion and Emotion

Another online car configuratior but this time with a narrative twist. In true Bond/Bourne/GTA style, change your Peugeot colors to evade bad guys. Play with the most "thrilling" car configurator ever. Interact with your smartphone or as a remote on your tablet and desktop.

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Peugeot's Hybrid Graphic Novel

The site attempts to draw in a tech savvy, blockbuster, action-loving audience by introducing the Peugeot's new Hybrid 4 car through a graphic novel lead in. Site visitors travel with a sexy leading lady who uses 4 different travel modes to combat her pursuers. Talk about metaphor vehicle! (The 4 different travel modes is also found in the Peugeot's Hybrid 4)

Once the adventure is done, the site brings the visitor to the Hybrid main page.

View the story here: http://graphicnovel-hybrid4.peugeot.com/start.html
(You might want to take Dramamine before viewing.)

Check out more of the information here in the Google Creative Sandbox.

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^{Peugeot Print Airbag Ad that Inflates when Punched
Published in PFSK on Nov 13, 2012.}

These days, print advertising is in competition with a variety of newer media outlets. So how do you make an advertisement in a magazine stand out? Peugeot’s answer was to come up with something very unique and clever, that will have a memorable and lasting impact. This ad promoting the safety features of their cars inflates a mini airbag when the car on the previous page is punched — simulating a car crash.

 

Sort of like the vibrating Volkswagon ad, innovative ideas like this serve prolong the relevancy of print advertisement through innovate, fun, and tactile solutions.

Check out the video below to see the advertisement in motion:

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Peugeot stages Fed Square dance comp to launch new 208

Peugeot has launched an experiential campaign in Melbourne to promote the new Peugeot 208.
For two days – Thursday 15 November and Friday 16 November – Federation Square in Melbourne was a platform for Peugeot’s ‘Let Your Body Win – Unlock A Peugeot 208’ dance competition.

The competition invited consumers to create the correct sequence of dance moves using body movement recognition technology the advertiser says has never been used before in Australia, to unlock a perspex box containing a new Peugeot 208.

BD Network was behind the campaign, with PR by Sweaty Betty.

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PEUGEOT A CASUALTY OF EU CRISIS, SACKS 8000, CLOSES PARIS PLANET

By Down Jones Newswire on July 13, 2012

PEUGEOT told union leaders last night that it planned to stop production at a major plant north of Paris by 2014 and lay off 8,000 workers, the latest in a potential spate of closures in Europe's troubled automobile industry.


The end of production in Aulnay-sous-Bois will eliminate more than 3,000 jobs, part of a broader plan to cut 8,000 posts in France, the automaker told union leaders in a meeting at its Paris headquarters. That represents 8 per cent of PSA's 100,000-strong French workforce. The cuts will hit Aulnay, as well as its plant in Rennes, which would shed 1400 of its 5600 jobs. A corporate restructuring should lead to another 3,600 job losses across France, the company said. Reuters reported that Aulnay would be the first French car plant to close in two decades, with the announcement undermining new Socialist President Francois Hollande's pledge to revive domestic industrial production. PSA Peugeot Citroen, the carmaker’s parent company, which is led and largely controlled by the Peugeot family, is struggling to cope with steep declines in demand for cars from European consumers, and mounting losses on underused auto plants. Over the first six months of 2012, Peugeot said its auto market fell 10 per cent, as it is "very exposed" to weak demand in southern Europe.


Peugeot had already announced plans to cut €1 billion ($1.20 billion) and slash 6000 jobs for 2012, after a cash outflow of €1.65 billion last year. But as the auto market has worsened in Europe, it hasn't been enough: the company now says it expects an operating loss at its automotive division of more €700 million, more than analysts' estimates.


The company struck a wide-ranging deal with US auto maker General Motors earlier this year to help ease its pain. But the benefits of buying parts together and perhaps even sharing some production will take years to implement or show up on the balance sheet. PSA shares fell 2.4 per cent to hit a record low of €6.96 overnight. French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that an aid plan for the country's automobile sector would be presented to the government on July 25, and that he had requested that industry minister Arnaud Montebourg meet with all those affected by Peugeot's restructuring plan.


The industry minister will send an expert to evaluate Peugeot's restructuring plan and its effects on France and its automobile industry, according to the statement from the Prime Minister. The first elements of the report will be presented before the end of the month, it said.
Mr Montebourg said overnight that Peugeot needed to look again at its cost-cutting plan.
"We do not accept the plan in its current state," Mr Montebourg told the French Senate, adding that the company will need to justify the measures.


Speaking on French television, however, Peugeot’s CEO Philippe Varin said that the current financial situation of the company was unsustainable, an issue about which PSA had been transparent with the government. "I know how serious these measures are for the people concerned, and for our entire company," chief executive Philippe Varin was quoted by Reuters as saying. "But a company can't preserve jobs when it's burning €200 million a month in cash," he said. "Prevaricating would have put the group in great danger."


The European Union would be "happy to consider" requests by the French government for funding to retrain or otherwise support workers who lose their jobs as part of auto maker Peugeot cost-savings program, a spokesman said. Meanwhile, General Motors sacked Opel’s chief executive in a sign that the US carmaker was growing impatient to reverse more than a decade of losses in Europe.


GM said Opel CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke had stepped down to take on "special assignments" for GM CEO Dan Akerson. GM vice chairman Steve Girsky, who heads Opel's board, will serve as acting Europe chief until a successor is found.

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