Acura Canada is revving up its shift in brand direction with a new campaign for its 2014 RLX model that aims to emphasize the synergy between man and machine.

Emile Korkor, project leader, brand strategy, Acura Canada, tells MiC that the campaign marks the beginning of a strategy that will look to connect with consumers on an emotional level, something he adds has been lacking in recent Acura advertising.

With media by PHD and creative by Grip Limited, the first spot, titled “Pulse,” is targeted at the brand’s core target of men aged 50 to 65 with an income of $200,000. The campaign features a heavy TV buy on TSN and CTV, as well as on Global, where the brand is the broadcast sponsor of the Masters golf tournament and will air its 90-second spot.

The TV creative depicts a well-dressed man going for a scenic drive from Toronto to Hamilton, and attempts to convey the overall Acura driving experience as one that makes a driver’s pulse race.

Additionally, the campaign will be supported by digital ads on TSN, CTV and Sportsnet, print ads in Maclean’s and Les Affaires, OOH ads in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, and a heavy social media presence, which includes the release of a series of behind-the-scenes videos.

Beyond the shift in brand direction, Korkor says that this is the first time Acura has used a 90-second spot. He says it was a necessary strategy to help the brand tell the RLX’s story, and to introduce its new brand message.

He adds that this is also the first time that the brand has released its spot online ahead of the full lunch of its campaign, noting that the brand was looking to build buzz before reaching out more broadly to consumers.

That campaign will run throughout 2013.

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