In mid-July, British luxury automaker Land Rover released a limited-edition Defender SUV in China, called the “英伦之声” (lit. The Brit Sound), as a tribute to British pop music since the British Invasion. The ultra-limited Defender 90 comes in a sleek black finish with purple accents, as well as an immersive sound system. It is limited to just 20 vehicles. One of these will set you back 818,000 RMB (113,960.08 USD), slightly higher than the standard version.
For the launch, Land Rover teamed up with the China edition of the global fashion and culture magazine ‘Another Man’ on a campaign that brings together the musical elements and cool factor of the “Brit Sound”. The magazine also collaborated with Chinese rock band ‘New Pants’ to produce a music video/advert, in which the band’s “Sad Punk” character, dressed in a costume, chases the car as it’s driven by the band.
As part of the launch, Land Rover sponsored the viral Another Man 1st anniversary party, where celebrities and indie musicians rubbed shoulders. Not only did influencers take photos with the “Brit Sound” limited-edition SUVs at the event, but musical guests also performed with the vehicles on stage. Another Man also hosted a photoshoot featuring additional musicians and bands with the car, including rock bands such as Young Dan (回春丹), Berlin Psycho Nurse (柏林护士) and Queen Sea Big Shark (后海大鲨鱼).
On Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform, the topic is based on the limited model’s tagline, “listen to yourself, you can do it (purple)” (#听自己的紫定行#), which reached number 16 on the Hot Search list with 54.15 million views. The hashtag uses a pun by replacing “指” from “指定” (zhi ding, definitely) with “紫” (zi, purple) to emphasise both the free spirit of “Brit Sound” and the colourway.
With the current EV boom in China, luxury cars have a tough year ahead. On 20 July, Land Rover announced that it would subsidise the new value-added tax on luxury cars for anyone who purchases a Range Rover or Defender between 20 and 31 July. The new limited-edition Land Rover campaign is also a move by the brand to bring back the desirability of its vehicles and better compete with EVs, especially domestic brands.