Repco is getting Supercars fans race-ready for the Bathurst 1000 with a new campaign via Thinkerbell, launching the tongue-in-cheek Repco Bathurst Driving School.
Now in its sixth year as naming rights sponsor of the Repco Bathurst 1000, the automotive brand is continuing its ‘Bringin’ The Bathurst’ platform with a fictional driving school designed to put fans through their paces ahead of the Great Race.
Rather than focusing on the usual learner-driver skills, the Bathurst Driving School takes a decidedly more unconventional approach to driver education, with lessons covering everything from maintaining a two-inch gap from the car in front to mastering a podium shoey.
The campaign also tackles some of the hazards unique to Mount Panorama, including rogue kangaroos and massive rocks, with the latter referencing the infamous rock that ended Dick Johnson’s Falcon at Bathurst in 1980.
The school will open its doors on October 8, when thousands of Supercars fans descend on Bathurst, while an online version of the course will allow fans who can’t make it to the track to take part from home.
The campaign’s hero film stars Supercars legend Neil Crompton alongside a line-up of driving instructors including Greg Murphy, Brodie Kostecki and Dave Reynolds, with the content packed with references to Bathurst history and fan culture.
Repco will take the campaign across Social, Video, OOH, Digital and in-store throughout October, with a dedicated Bathurst Driving School fleet also set to feature during the broadcast of the race.
Mitch Wiley, executive general manager of marketing at Repco, said the brand was looking to give fans a taste of the skills required to tackle Mount Panorama.
“The Repco Bathurst 1000 is the pinnacle of Australian motorsport and we lap it up as much as the fans,” Wiley said.
“We are stoked to teach Australia some of the special skills it takes to conquer the mighty Mount Panorama.”
Thinkerbell executive head tinker Ben Couzens said the agency wanted to explore what it really takes to drive the iconic track.
“We’ve been Bringin’ The Bathurst with Repco for six years and counting,” Couzens said.
“This year, we wanted to show that being able to drive the iconic track takes a set of special skills… and a few loose screws. Launching Repco’s own driving school was the perfect answer.”
Credits
Client: Repco
Creative: Thinkerbell
Production Company: Good Oil
Driving School Car Fleet: ShowTime
Media: Initiative
Post Production: Manimal Post
Music & Sound Design: Electric Sheep Music
Photographer: Simon Davidson
