Our work for Lincoln had helped put the brand back on the map. However, our research indicated that we weren’t making people’s consideration lists because they weren’t clear what driving a Lincoln would say about them and mainly associated us with their grandpa, who drove one ‘back in the day’.

We needed to define what Lincoln stands for.

The vast majority of automotive brands are obsessed with performance, following the conventional approach of showing cars drifting, spinning and speeding their way across various surfaces, even when selling family SUVs.

But at a time when life is more complicated and stressful than ever, our research helped us realize most people actually prefer comfort over performance. As one respondent said: “When I get in my car at the end of a hard day’s work, I’m not taking it to the race track. I just want a place where I can relax and unwind”.

This presents a big opportunity for an automotive brand to provide moments of calm when you can de-stress and re-charge.

A deep dive into Lincoln heritage revealed people believe the brand relates to achievement and well-being: providing security, comfort and restoration on the road. The current vehicles also stand out in terms of their impressive interior design and comfort, making this an authentic territory for Lincoln to own.

These insights helped us arrive at our brand positioning: In today’s non-stop world, Lincoln believes our journey’s should be uplifting not exhausting, which is why we create driving experiences that revitalize you, mentally and physically.

The New Lincoln brand has a clear and contemporary point of view that takes advantage of a white space in the market and taps into the large-scale wellness trend while being highly appealing to our target audience and distinguishing us from the competition. ‘The Power Of Sanctuary’ acts as an authentic north star for creativity, in terms of product & service innovation and integrated communications and is ultimately making Lincoln more meaningful.

Following the re-positioning people are beginning to recognize what Lincoln stands for, helping the brand achieve its strongest sales since 2007.