18 August, 2005. New Media Age. Avis turns to Web to persuade customers to hire bigger cars.

Avis, the world’s number-two car hire firm, has launched its largest ever online marketing campaign in the UK, in a bid to persuade local residents and US visitors to trade up to bigger hire cars and book online. The campaign, which is running across online and offline media, will be promoting the company’s premium and MPV car groups, which include Mercedes models and people-carriers. As well as trying to get customers to book online, it promotes specific pick-up locations depending on the fluctuating availability of its cars.

“It’s our biggest push so far” said Xavier Vallee, ecommerce marketing manager for Avis UK. “It’s a test to see if online ads can work in our industry. We’ll definitely be doing more.”; He said the company, which has traditionally trailed behind market leader Hertz, wanted to become the UK’s largest online car hire company.

The campaign was developed by digital marketing agency Web Liquid, its first work for Avis, and includes online marketing, point-of-sale posters and display ads in magazines. It’s due to run until mid- September and promotes the style of Avis’s cars as well as special offers.

Ads will appear on travel-related Web sites in the UK and US, including OAG.com, World Airport Guide and Streetmap. The offline push will be restricted to the UK and includes ads in the magazines distributed on the Heathrow and Gatwick Express train services, as well as posters in the Avis airport locations.

Web Liquid devised the creative and media strategies as well as the planning/buying for the campaign. Unique Digital managed the search marketing element.

Alain Portmann, founding partner of Web Liquid, appeared confident that more work for Avis would follow. “We’ll ensure this relationship grows from this initial campaign to a long-term partnership”; he said.