We all have our own big set of keys. A private combination of car, house, work and ‘bitsof’ keys. Your set of keys are on your person most of the day, most of the week and most of the year. If you’re at home, they are hung up in visible place. If you’re out (day or night) they will generally be close to you or within sight.
The manufacturers of Tobacco seemed, until recently, to be the only industry to understand that alongside keys, tobacco packets were the ‘other’ item people carried everywhere. The falling sales of tobacco in recent decades and the unparalleled rise of the mobile phone has changed our ‘pocket possessions’ forever. Keys, of course, still remain king of the pocket.
Advertising surely could not be better placed than on you day in, day out. Tobacco manufacturers certainly know this. Mobile phone manufactures do. Why then, do motor manufactures, in the main, miss this marketing trick? Ok, let’s be fair. Some manufacturers, at the higher end of motoring heaven have given the market a slice of ‘key cool’. Recent innovative ‘keyless cards’ are technically amazing, without question. You keep them in your pocket or handbag, and just press the engine start button to go. However, they are still a plain, rectangular, forgettable plastic card. They don’t look or feel special, cool or desirable. Aston Martin, on the other hand, contrast this marketing enigma. Two fold. Firstly, their emotional, transparent fob which fits snuggly into the engine start, displaying an inset Aston Martin logo is very pleasing indeed. A little cheesey maybe but on inserting the key, listening to the glorious, characteristic rev flare, the rev needle arc and return to zero, is accompanied by the unique indication on the dash – power, beauty and soul.
Aston is trying hard. Secondly, the quest for one-upmanship among City bankers and Premier League footballers has reached a new level with the unveiling of the world’s most expensive car key. As if simply being able to afford the new Aston Martin Rapide (list price: £139,950) weren’t prestigious enough, for an extra £22,000 buyers can ask for its “plipper” to be built into a custom-made Jaeger-LeCoultre watch. Aston Martin engineers spent 18 months tinkering with the transponder to shrink it and damp emissions, so as not to affect the delicate innards of the Swiss watch. The results have been worth the wait: to unlock the car’s five doors, users tap the sapphire crystal face between the 8 and 9 on the dial; the “close” section sits between the 3 and 4. WOW! Aston is trying very hard! If you have a spare £1m, you may even get a special presentation box with your Bugatti Veyron (analagous to a diamond ring presentation). Infact, Bugatti give you a second key in order that you can unlock a further 300 BHP and de-limit the restrictive speed limiter to unlock the 252mph top speed. Nice.
Remember, this is only a key? Whether for your Ferrari or Fiesta – the cost associated to be a tad more lavish wouldn’t break the budget surely? Ironically, the marketing departments have enough influence to add an extra inch to the alloy wheel diameter (a very topical subject within the industry). The touch, feel, style and presence of something like an everyday item such as your simple car key would be a constant feel good factor. A reminder that you have purchased the right brand. A reminder that you will stay loyal to that brand. A reminder that your brand (on your person) is quality, oozes style and shouts from the restaurant table – I am quality! It’s no coincidence the premium brands are slowly (very slowly) subscribing to this reality.
Do you know what’s next? You’ve guessed it – house builders! If you want style on your key fob, for the very materialistic reasons, you want ice-cool in your house key.
Mike Emmett is a Director at Happy Creative, a full service marketing and creative agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk
