Sahara CHallenge

We created an awe-inspiring video campaign to showcase the durability of campervans for Bailey of bristol, Resulting in MORE THAN one million ORGANIC AND EARNED CONTENT VIEWS.

Bailey of Bristol is a caravan and motorhome manufacturer that organises an intercontinental trip to test its product every few years or so. Along with members of the Bailey team, key figures from the leisure vehicle industry were involved, making it a marketing opportunity not to be missed.

So, Bailey invited Axonn’s videographers along on the Sahara Challenge to produce content for the whole trip. That meant documenting its efforts to put two caravans, one motorhome and the Endeavour campervan through their paces. We created and edited on-the-road footage of Bailey’s Sahara Challenge involving multiple industry journalists and influencers. That’s three videographers managing and directing 30 contributors, resulting in impactful content to be used across a variety of marketing channels.

These included a full promo and documentary campaign comprising more than 20 individual assets and daily updates, as well as digital, print and event content. The mileage in the footage we captured was seemingly infinite. It resulted in a campaign library with over one million organic and earned views disseminated across many channels. Interviews with key players helped to bring the action to life and put the latest models front and centre. Here’s how it went when Bailey and Axonn set off for the Sahara.

The Challenge.

Bailey’s main goal was to test the vehicles in real life to see how they perform on tour. As the only major caravan and motorhome brand to do that, it was a clear marketing goal to ensure the level of testing they were going through was communicated to potential customers wanting to take similar trips themselves.

Not only were the videographers required to capture features of the leisure vehicles, but also a sense of place and the input of the 30 people involved in the trip. Capturing the right footage was just the start as it needed to be edited into a cohesive whole that would maintain the interest of the viewer and spark excitement around the brand.

Among the messaging Bailey was looking to convey was the evolution of caravans from the concept’s inception as a group of people riding camels to the technology-filled vehicles of today. Part of the challenge was to take absolutely everything they needed into the desert and live off-grid.

Filming the vehicles traversing the Dades Gorge with its 360-degree switchbacks meant identifying and executing precise angles for those perfect shots. The only way to demonstrate just how terrifying driving this road is was to film it from above.

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Our Approach.

The Axonn approach to capturing the epic nature of the Sahara Challenge was to live the adventure alongside the Bailey team. That meant documenting all the action behind the scenes, interviewing the participants and highlighting the difficulties that needed to be overcome and the leisure vehicles’ unique features. All of this at the same time as camping off-grid in the desert with camera equipment. 

When it came to launching the documentary, we needed to make sure we grabbed Bailey’s target audience’s attention. Their fingers immediately stopped scrolling on their socials when they saw the April Fool’s campaign featuring a spoof campsite on the moon! We designed and used VFX to build a full lunar landscape to sell the April fool with a huge reveal of the team, not on the moon but in the vastness of the Sahara.

Axonn’s videographers even did a walk-through video of Bailey’s new model – the Endeavour – in the desert to use once an embargo was lifted on the motorhome. That meant Bailey had exciting footage of the vehicle ready to go as an added extra when they needed it.

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The Outcome.

After a 19-day shoot, the team had just two weeks to edit and produce the final assets. The end result was more than one million organic and earned content views across multiple channels.

The main documentary Axonn’s videographers created and edited has received more than 2,000 views on YouTube. Its reach is in reality much further, however, as it’s been shared by many of those involved and other stakeholders. For example, it was displayed on a number of stands at the Motorhome and Caravan Show at the NEC.

A selection of small edits were also produced for social media, with each one generating hundreds of views on Bailey’s channels. The journalists and influencers involved have also utilised this highly shareable content to get it out to a wider audience.

The April Fool’s Day launch of the documentary received 100,000 views on Facebook alone and 250,000 across all platforms.

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