Launching the New Land Rover Defender

THE CONTEXT
Land Rover has realised that their heritage model had become outdated and seen as a relic. Moreover, there were issues with the model as automotive regulation had evolved, and consumers wanted the engineering might of the original but within a modern machine .

When Land Rover reimagined its most iconic model for the 21st century, the ambition was bold: to make the New Defender the pinnacle of design and innovation in the category. I was part of the team at Spark44 (now Accenture Song), Land Rover’s in-house agency, tasked with bringing this vision to life through a national go-to-market campaign.

The challenge was clear, how do you introduce a redefined Defender to a new, younger audience while staying true to the heritage and loyal following that made it legendary?

THE IDEA
We developed an integrated campaign that celebrated the spirit of adventure - not just the physical journey, but the shared mindset of those who seek it. With a budget of over £500k, the work spanned print, digital, social, point-of-sale, and experiential activations, all unified by a consistent creative and strategic idea.
My role focused on bringing the campaign to life at a local level. Working closely with our strategists, designers, and the client team, I led the production of dealer campaign materials and toolkits, ensuring retailers across the UK had everything they needed to execute the launch in their markets. This meant translating the national strategy into something actionable and compelling on the ground: guiding dealerships on messaging, materials, and activation ideas to drive excitement and, ultimately, sales.

THE IMPACT
The campaign was a huge success; the New Defender became Land Rover’s top-selling vehicle in 2020, overtaking the Evoque.

For me, it was a powerful reminder of how a strong strategic idea, executed consistently from global brand to local showroom, can transform not just perception but performance.

CONVERSATIONS BEHIND THE SCENES...
Land Rover’s retailer network plays a crucial role - they’re the direct link between brand and customer, and understand how marketing truly lands in their communities. Partnering with them gave me valuable insight into how large-scale brand strategy can flex locally to deliver real commercial impact on the ground.