3M Automotive Aftermarket Division
Challenge
3M is an innovation company that continually strives for solutions to the increasing demands of modern automobile paint systems and repair techniques. The Automotive Aftermarket Division first developed the PPS paint preparation system over twenty years ago. A linered-cup system compatible with all makes of paint spray guns, the 3M PPS makes automotive painting more efficient by reducing waste due to contamination and shortening prep and clean-up time. The key feature of this product is its 360-degree paint range thanks to a liner that collapses under vacuum, allowing a consistent spray at any angle, even upside down.
A redesign incorporated user feedback into the next generation of the product, and a fresh approach was needed to promote the new PPS 2.0 among automotive collision repair professionals.
Our integrated campaign included multiple visual assets, including static and motion advertisements. Video and static ads appeared in English and French across social media channels. Static ads ran in trade print publications.
Solution
By dramatizing the dynamism of the 360-degree range capability of the system, the integrated campaign we produced for the PPS 2.0 took 3M’s commitment to innovation and made it visual. For this product reboot, innovation was in the details, so we developed a visually driven and surreal representation of that. The result was a portrayal of the product in use featuring an exploded view of a deconstructed car in the paint shop being worked on by levitating technicians.
To stay on budget, we produced the creative in a mixed virtual and studio environment, placing emphasis on post-production editing. Before production, the concept was visualized in a 3D mockup using SketchUp and Photoshop. We then had a small photography production on a green screen, capturing the two auto body painters mid-air. The deconstructed car was virtually created through 3D modelling and was further refined in CGI using Cinema4D. All the production elements were then composited in Photoshop, which created a seamless and polished yet surrealistic feel on a limited budget.
Results
This social media and print strategy succeeded in driving sales and achieving increased reach. During the campaign, social digital advertising reached 11K daily, while keyword searches drove traffic to the 3M website. 3M sales teams reported increased interest in the PPS 2.0 among auto body repair shop owners, managers, and employees while the print campaign ran in trade publications. The creative assets we developed were expanded to new product lines and into additional North American markets. Deconstructed Repair won two Silver Davey Awards in the categories: Business to Business and Promotional/Branding for print campaigns.
