Inside Lincoln’s plans to market its 100-year-old brand to younger drivers

The global reveal of the Lincoln Nautilus took place at a 17,000-square-foot venue called Iron23 in New York City and was limited to a little over 200 guests comprising influencers, retailers, brand partners and more. Notably, guests enjoyed a live drum performance from Karriem Riggins, an artist and musician from Detroit, where Lincoln was founded.

The exclusivity of the event was, evidently, by choice – representing one of many marketing moves that Lincoln is making to separate itself from other automakers and educate future consumers about its portfolio of new vehicles. “Last week, was the New York International Auto Show,” says Michael Sprague, Lincoln’s North America director. “We chose not to show up because we didn’t want to be one of the many brands there.”

That same evening, Lincoln launched a two-minute-long ad spot called ‘Higher state,’ which sees a woman behind the wheel of a Lincoln Nautilus, who recalls a romantic time with her significant other in the ocean. At the same time, the ad highlights the comfort and sanctuary of the vehicle by showing off its hands-free driver assist system. The campaign comes well before the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus will hit dealerships. The SUV will go on sale early next year at a suggested retail price of $51,810.

According to Sprague, the new Lincoln Nautilus boasts a complete reimagination of its interior and has some features one would not expect in a car, like programmable digital scents. The idea comes from the rising popularity of scenting in other sectors, like boutique hotels around the world. “How does a brand stay relevant? Keeping a pulse on trends, not just within the automotive space but within all the luxury space,“ he says.

Revitalizing a century-old brand

Last year, Lincoln celebrated its 100-year anniversary. “That says a lot about a brand – that it can survive,” says Sprague. “We can all think of brands that have come and gone. What’s been true about the Lincoln brand over the last 100 years is its attention to design, innovation, technology, interiors – and knowing who our customers are.”

Despite Lincoln’s enduring legacy, many consumers still don’t know Lincoln, particularly people ages 35 and under, says Sprague. For this reason, Lincoln has been steering away from its long-term investment in television broadcast advertising, to show up where its new “conquest customers” are, in unexpected ways, via digital, social and experiential channels.

These include leveraging influencers, as it did for its centennial anniversary, and even partnering with boutique hotel chains like Ennismore to allow hotel guests to borrow on-site Lincoln vehicles for a joy ride. “We see this as a huge opportunity,” he says. ”There are so many new and different channels for us to be working in.”

At the same time, Lincoln will continue to communicate “one-on-one” with its existing client base, he says, because over 50% of current Lincoln owners purchase a new one.

Inside Lincoln’s new product portfolio

In 2019, Lincoln debuted two new midsized SUVs: the Aviator and the Corsair, each with traditional brand campaigns entailing TV broadcasts, auto shows and beyond. Then, Covid hit, slowing production on Lincoln‘s new vehicles, as it did for many automakers.

In 2020, Lincoln stopped producing sedans in North America entirely to focus on crossovers and SUVs. At the time, the automaker cited declining sales of full-sized sedans as the reasoning behind the move.

In May, Lincoln plans to market its 2023 Lincoln Corsair, which is expected to start at $39,885. Below, the brand reveals its latest ad campaign for the Corsair, ‘Dreams of neon.‘ In the ad, a woman who creates neon lights explores a city at night.

Both spots were developed by the creative agency Hudson Rouge, which has been Lincoln’s agency of record for over 10 years.

As for Lincoln’s future, Sprague says it is focusing on marketing the Corsair and Nautilus and continuing to electrify its portfolio.

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