AUDI E5 Sportback Launch Campaign
An integrated campaign that turned an ancient road into Audi's electric story — 10,153 launch orders.
"You can't argue your way to that feeling. You have to show it."
Audi created AUDI — a standalone brand exclusively for China. It needed a narrative authentically of China, not just adapted for it. How do you make a German luxury brand feel Chinese without losing what makes it German?
In 2025, Chinese consumers believed domestic EV brands — BYD, NIO, XPeng — were more advanced. "German engineering" became a legacy talking point. The question: how do you make someone feel something for a German EV?
Panlong Ancient Road in Xinjiang — 36 kilometers, 600+ hairpin turns, from 3,000m to 4,200m altitude. We placed the AUDI E5 on this road and let it speak.
Panlong is iconic Chinese landscape — raw, dramatic, unmistakably rooted in this land. No voiceover needed. The road says it. The mountains say it.
"Winning China Car of the Year validated the entire strategy — the product, the story, and the way we told it."Fermín Soneira, Creative Director
600 turns of relentless physics. Altitude that thins the air. Switchbacks that punish imprecision. This is where German engineering becomes a feeling you experience in your body.
"The campaign didn't just sell cars — it redefined what a German brand could mean in China."Rahul Ahuja, Strategy Lead
As Freelance Creative Strategist working with Ogilvy China, I developed the core creative concept for SAIC Audi's E5 Sportback launch — the brand's first model built exclusively for China. The dual challenge was unprecedented: make a German luxury brand feel authentically Chinese, while convincing consumers that German EVs could compete with dominant domestic brands. The Panlong Ancient Road concept answered both — 36 kilometers of extreme switchbacks in Xinjiang that are unmistakably Chinese landscape, yet demand the kind of engineering precision that only German craft delivers.
"The road didn't just test the car. It told the story no tagline could."
SAIC Audi E5 Sportback Launch Event · September 16, 2025, Guangzhou
Mapped China's EV perception landscape — why domestic brands were winning hearts. Identified the dual-story framework: China belonging and German credibility had to be solved simultaneously.
Landed on Panlong Ancient Road as the single image that answers both challenges. Developed the "Don't Argue, Show" creative philosophy.
Cinematic shoot at 3,000–4,200m altitude. Aerial photography capturing 600+ switchbacks. Full campaign asset production across channels.
Coordinated rollout: TVC debut, digital & social activation, dealer events, 200+ user centers. 10,153 orders in 30 minutes.
"The best brand storytelling doesn't explain the product. It makes you feel why the product exists."