The Challenge
Loved and close to the hearts of so many motor fans across Australia, the need to resurrect the late Peter Brock’s HDT brand and its personality was central to the marketing consultation and recommendations provided to thebox by current brand owner, Peter Champion and his wife Sandy. A personal friend of Brock’s, the two wanted to position HDT into the future with a new range of HDT vehicles, merchandise, events and brand extensions that were set to hit the market. With a powerful strategic focus, thebox set out to discover what it was consumers were looking for and how HDT could deliver.
The Idea
In-depth market and consumer research were undertaken, the results of which would underpin the entire process. Over time, the brand had undergone some ‘butchering’. thebox set about to redraw the brand from scratch, restoring it to its former glory. This was matched with the development of a strategic marketing campaign which would launch the revived HDT. Our concept was to revitalise the brand image and execute all livery by merging the old with the new. Such a segue would allow the organisation to maintain the emotional attachment of the older brand while creating a re-stimulation in the new, more twenty first century, look.
The Solution
A new corporate style and a strategic marketing campaign was developed to launch the revived HDT. As HDT’s agency, thebox has been commissioned since 2008 to provide a range of services and a unique partnership.
The Last Word
HDT relaunched their brand and ‘new generation’ message to the Australian market in early 2009 with great success. Almost 36,000 people visited the release of the new Blue Meanie Limited Edition vehicle at Bathurst in October 2009, with the website receiving 2,169 visits and 15,929 page views in just one day! The Blue Meanie Campaign also appeared in the Marketing Magazine:
http://www.marketingmag.com.au/case-studies/ameancampaign-4297/
HDT continues to release new generation vehicles to crowds of fans and enthusiasts. Today HDT is still growing and carrying the memory of the great Peter Brock, King of the Mountain.
Most recently, we completed a new design for milestone merchandise. Custom illustrations were developed to celebrate the anniversary which will be used as part of an ongoing series.
ZERO5 was also successfully trademarked in 2023 and will become a major independent brand moving forward.
What We’ve Done
- Strategic Planning
- Brand Development
- Corporate Style
- Stationery Suite
- Design
- Printing
- Merchandise
- Collateral
- Templates
- Photography
- Video Production
- Press
- Digital & Social Media
- Media Planning & Buying
- Copywriting
- eNewsletter
- Website
What They Said
“Your professional, valuable and highly informative document and presentation just totally inspired, revealed and terrified us all at once. It must be said that you and your skilled team should be congratulated to the highest order as you had obviously all dug deep to get the outcomes that have taken place.”
Peter & Sandy Champion | Proprietor
HDT Special Vehicles | Champions Brock Experience | December 2008