Land Rover on the up and up – in more ways than one

   Scenes taken from the commercial

At the same time, the Land Rover brand is enjoying unprecedented success in the South African market. December 2007 was a month most motor vehicle manufacturers would like to forget – which makes the fact that Land Rover enjoyed its highest sales ever even more remarkable. Overall, 2007 was Land Rover's best year yet, both locally and globally. Worldwide sales topping 225,000 units were a fitting achievement for a brand that celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

The new campaign could not have appeared at a better time for Freelander 2, which is a finalist in the 2008 South African Guild of Motoring Journalists Car of the Year awards due to be announced in March. Cloud Hopping, launched here just three days after appearing in the UK, is another fully integrated, global campaign, with the TV, print and digital components created by Y&R and Wunderman.

In ‘Cloud Hopping' we see a race between a couple who travel from the centre of Vancouver, out through the surrounding mountains and into the countryside, the woman ‘cloud hopping' in a hot air balloon and the man driving a Freelander 2. We share in the exhilaration of their early morning pursuit as the film cuts back and forth between them.

Cloud Hopping is the niche sport of hot-air ballooning where the pilot is harnessed to the balloon rather than standing in a basket. It offers the perfect excuse to demonstrate the capabilities of the Freelander in some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The film was directed by exciting new British director Jonny Green with music composed by Jon Allen.

Comments Bogosi Matsheka, Marketing Manager of Land Rover in South Africa, "Freelander 2 is a compact premium SUV with an ever-ready capability that enables one to share in a life that is rich in adventure. The audience we are targeting with Freelander 2 have original and interesting passions and this campaign brings these qualities to the fore in a manner that typifies Land Rover's brand persona."

All in all, 2008 promises to be a truly spectacular year for a brand that is reaching for the clouds.