iJack (case study)

In the UAE, the surge in electric vehicle (EV) purchases has been notable, driven by a growing awareness of environmental concerns and the need for sustainable transportation. However, given the relatively limited availability of home charging stations, reliance on public charging infrastructure is common. For potential EV buyers, a crucial step in their decision-making process involves researching the nearest charging points to ensure practicality.

Capitalizing on this consumer behavior, BMW, a recent player in the UAE's EV market, devised a strategic campaign. They strategically photographed their EVs at over 300 charging stations across Dubai and cleverly integrated these images into Google Maps reviews for each location. This innovative tactic, orchestrated by Serviceplan Dubai, essentially "photobombed" the Google Maps reviews with BMW's electric vehicles, ensuring that every search for charging stations prominently featured images of BMWs.

The campaign's simplicity was its strength; it only required three BMWs and a smartphone to execute. Beyond staged photos that appeared authentic, BMW also provided 360-degree views of the cars' interiors and incorporated QR codes into the images, enabling viewers to request test drives.

The results were impressive: the images garnered 2 million organic views on Google Maps, leading to a remarkable 400% increase in test drives, with a significant portion of new bookings directly attributed to Google Maps. Moreover, the campaign generated $2.2 million in earned media and garnered attention from influential motoring channels like Arab GT, boasting 3.7 million social media followers in the region.