Lego drives Shell Ferrari promotion through Asia

In conjunction with the coolest F1 race of the year, the Singapore Grand Prix, Shell and Lego have teamed up with Ferrari to create a very cool sales promotion based on a tripartite brand alliance very much for the boy in every car owner.

Launched in car obsessed Singapore it’s a world’s first for the promotion and will undoubtedly be gone as fast as a Ferrari driven by a Chinese national in Singapore moves.

Whether or not the S$5.95 cars with S$50 purchase of at any Shell station had anything to do with the very glamorous Singapore night street race being extended for another 5 years is open to debate but I’m sure the Minister in charge was as keen as any racing enthusiast in wishing to collect the six limited edition Ferrari Lego vehicles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sGdX8J3YXg

Running in both Singapore and Hong Kong the Lego promotion is a dream for those big boys who would like to drive a Ferrari but aren’t multi millionaires. In Singapore you need to be a multi millionaire to be able to afford a car such as that due to the Government’s pro-public transport policy.

Although this policy doesn’t work (only 57% of people get to work via MRT/bus compared to 80% in Hong Kong for example) it does work in increasing taxes on cars which are so astronomical that even a normal vehicle costs over $100k let alone a Ferrari which can set you back anything up to $1m!

However as Singapore is the world’s richest country by GDP per person and has the most millionaires of any country in the world, according to two recent surveys, the price doesn’t tend to put anyone off.

The promotion itself is another great brand partnership for Lego as they push deeper and deeper into the ready made model market and the build it according to a design market rather than the “think for yourself and design something bizarre” market.

All these Lego Shell Ferraris come in a bag of bricks to be created by father and son or just father……www.Shell.com.sg/Lego.

Lego’s business has been transformed by creating models from films such as Batman and Star Wars and then getting people to buy a set of bricks that make up the design and getting them to build it according to instructions (or if you’re a guy to hell with the instructions and shouts of “wooah it doesn’t look like that on the box” scenario…..).

Shell and Lego apparently worked for 18 months together to create these cool toys, the smallest ready builds they have every created. It really is a very synergistic brand partnership as Shell’s V-Power fuels are at the heart of the toy.

The “micro-propulsion” motor is powerful enough to drive each pocket sized vehicle  at high speed allowing all those boys in men’s clothing to race each other to their heart’s content!!

There will even be build your own events and races in Singapore, all competing with Lego Shell Ferrari toys. Brand engagement taken to the ultimate level that will enhance and accentuate brand loyalty for all three brands.

Shell and Lego have created six classic models which are the Scuderia Ferrari Truck, the Ferrari F40, the Ferrari 150 Italia, theFerrari 458 Italia, the Ferrari FXX and the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta.

Even though Legoland Malaysia has just opened there appears to be no co-ordination between this Shell promotion, the lifesize  lego Ferrari (made completely out of Lego that you can drive which was displayed in Singapore inconjunction with the Singapore F1 race and is now on a tour of the island) and the marketing of the theme park.

Clearly the effect of all these initiatives is the same. It raises brand and product awareness of Lego very cleverly and adds extra sexiness to the brand while opening up a whole range of transport products linked to areas such as racing with leading brand partners like Ferrari and Shell.

Shell and Ferrari get the same positive association effect as it could be argued that the coolest, most accessible and fun brand here is Lego.

Another marketing masterstroke for this incredible transforming brand demonstrates the power of a trilogy of brand partners and an aggressive partnership marketing strategy.