Who: Audi Canada, with Narrative XPR on experiential and creative; Bensimon Byrne and Super Proper on social and influencer content; Touché for media.
What: Audi Haus, an eye-catching experiential showcase at the biggest auto-show in the country, marking a significant moment for the brand in the Canadian marketplace, according to head of marketing Joseph Ottorino.
Where & When: The activation was at this year’s Canadian International AutoShow, from Feb. 14 to 25. Audi supported its experiential piece with OLV, social and influencer content, including a making-of video shared across its social channels.
Why: The showcase marked the brand’s return to the Canadian International AutoShow for the first time in five years, and served as an unveiling of Audi’s Generation Next lineup: five all-new vehicles including the SQ5, A5, S6 e-tron, Q6 e-tron and SQ6 e-tron. Those five vehicles are part of “the largest product offensive in Audi’s history,” according to Ottorino.
Audi also used the showcase to present five other models already familiar to Canadian audiences, including an R8 GT, one of just 11 such units in the country.
Ultimately, it was a chance for the brand to highlight its “dedication to technological innovation,” Ottorino said, spanning both its e-tron electric models and internal combustion vehicles.
“This activation was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create something impactful and differentiated in the auto show context,” he added. “This build was meant to honour Audi’s boundary-pushing innovations and legacy of meticulous engineering.”
How: To hit all of the right visual notes, the brand enlisted Canadian architect Omar Gandhi, himself an Audi driver for 15 years, Ottorino said.
Gandhi brought his architectural eye to a Brutalist-style presentation, employing concrete finishes that stood apart from cars-and-carpets approach found in a typical AutoShow presentation. The activation also used curved pill shapes for its platforms and light boxes, evoking the Audi rings while introducing a degree of softness to the presentation.
“This allowed the vehicle silhouettes, colours and signature lighting to really pop,” Ottorino said.
On the AutoShow’s opening night, Audi presented an “Architects of the Future” panel discussion moderated by ETalk reporter Chloe Wilde that featured Gandhi alongside Toronto International Film Festival CEO Cameron Bailey; Jayna Hefford, SVP of operations for the PWHL; and Vito Paldino, the president of Audi Canada. The group discussed “how innovation is shaping the future of mobility, sport, culture and design,” said Jessie Sorrell, ECD with Narrative XPR — further hammering home the themes of the activation.
And we quote: “At its core, Audi Haus embodies Vorsprung durch Technik—Progress through Technology—a philosophy that continues to drive Audi forward as we set new benchmarks for what an automotive experience should be. We are highlighting our dedication to technological innovation…shaping the future of mobility through electrification, performance and groundbreaking design.” — Joseph Ottorino, head of marketing, Audi Canada
