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← Back to IdeasSmarter travelling with the digital travel companion DB Navigator. Deutsche Bahn and Ogilvy are presenting the new version of the app – with humorous quips from the analogue world.
Frankfurt, 7 November 2023 – With over 60 million downloads, DB Navigator is Germany’s most popular mobility app and the ideal travel companion for every rail traveller. During the beta phase, 2 million clients contributed to make the multifunctional tool for travelling even better and more intuitive. The new version is now ready and DB Navigator has been available to use in its new design with numerous improved functions and enhanced navigation since mid-October.
Stefanie Berk, Head of Marketing and Sales at Fernverkehr, emphasises how important the digital travel companion DB Navigator is for Deutsche Bahn: “Last year, over 90 million tickets were booked in the app and more than one billion travel information requests were made – that’s more than three million queries every day. It is important for us that the use of the numerous functions continues to increase, as this also increases customer satisfaction with our product.”
Jürgen Kornmann, CMO of Deutsche Bahn, states: “With this development of the app, it is clear that many analogue devices can no longer keep up with the real-time information from the digital world of travel and some have already become obsolete. This is precisely where the campaign for the new DB Navigator comes in. Ogilvy has developed a concept in which the analogue world rebels and humorously acknowledges the new technology.” In the TV advert, the old devices are given voices and complain about the fact that people no longer pay any attention to them and that the new app is simply at hand, everywhere. When the old world compares itself with the new, there is inevitably recognition.
Whether it’s the inkjet printer, the timetable, the arrivals and departures display boards or the coach position board at the station, everyone is jealous, but also impressed by the digital information options of the DB Navigator, which is now clearer, more precise and also simpler. Some people will certainly recognise the voices of the sulking devices. These include dubbing actors such as Santiago Ziesmer, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, and professional actors from the Kom(m)ödchen theatre in Düsseldorf.
Short 15-second online videos are mainly used to explain the individual functions properly. Naturally in a humorous and cheerful way, with the voices of the analogue devices. Siyamak Jung, CCO of Ogilvy in Frankfurt, explains: “We tried out a lot, and in the end it was clear that no one can explain the advantages of the new app more memorably than the analogue devices themselves.”
The production was realised by Akkurat Studios in Berlin, under the direction of Norwegian director Kaspar Häggström. The campaign launched on TV on 6 November and will be supplemented by online videos on the digital channels. OOH formats, banners and social media will also be used.
Vimeo-Link: https://vimeo.com/881198683?share=copy
The creators
Marketing Communication DB Fernverkehr
Stefanie Berk, Vorständin Marketing und Vertrieb
Dr. Thomas Kemper, Leiter Marktkommunikation*
Stephanie Caspers, Senior Marketing Manager, Marktkommunikation
Kerstin Vaupel, Senior Marketing Manager, Marktkommunikation
Marketing Deutsche Bahn
Jürgen Kornmann, Leiter Marketing & PR, CMO
Julia Janßen, Leiterin Marketingkommunikation & Kampagnenmanagement
Markus Fälsch, Leiter Marketingkommunikation Personenverkehr
Frank Hirschfeld, Marketingkommunikation Personenverkehr
Ogilvy
Strategy: Carla Müller;
Brian McCarter – CSO EMEA
Jakub Hodbod – CSO
Kristel van der Vliet, Izabela Ryszkowska – Strategy Director
Creation: Sinya Horwedel, Siyamak Jung, Sebastian Kamp, Bent Kroggel, Asli Sahin;
Consulting: Alice Baldczus, Leona Noethe, Tina Rentzsch, Roland Stauber
Media
Carat Deutschland
Pressebüro Ogilvy
Ogilvy GmbH, Darmstädter Landstraße 112, 60598 Frankfurt
Telefon: 069 9622 500 23 | presse@ogilvy.com