When second biggest car seller in the UK, Vauxhall, was looking to showcase their cars to an 18-24 year old audience, an important element was to feature the cars as an integral part of the set rather than in an exhibition-type setting. Looking for parallels with ‘driving excitement’ and connotations of four wheels, they hit upon a skating theme, converting a Tigra into a giant rotating mirror ball with the help of a car revolve from Movetech UK.
Movetech UK recommended the Merlin as the safest way to display the car in an environment where 450 plus young clubbers all wanted to look up close. With no visible moving parts the Merlin will stop turning if obstructed in any way, resuming its smooth, silent movement when free to carry on.
The event, named Vauxhall Skate, was developed by Mischief PR into a retro ’70s disco meets Knight Rider’ theme, complete with roller disco, celebrity DJs and Tigra mirror ball. To create the giant mirror ball the Tigra was wrapped and individual mirrors applied by hand before Movetech UK personnel mounted the car on the revolve, ready to go.
Simon Ewart, Manager, Consumer Communications Manager at Vauxhall parent company, General Motors UK & Ireland, explains: “Our main aim was to communicate to a young audience what Vauxhall today stands for, and evaluation of the event was paramount for us to get the feedback we needed on the brand.
“We therefore invited people to apply for free tickets to the 450-capacity Village Underground venue in London’s Shoreditch via Facebook events and Dazed and Confused Magazine. Transformed for the evening with the help of design duo, Jiggery Pokery, the venue was a huge success, if the response to our post-event questionnaire is anything to go by! The Tigra Mirror Ball was cited as the favourite car installation of the evening, and there was no question that this was the most impactful and relevant way to display the Tigra. The revolve showcased the car superbly, and with the movement causing the lights to bounce and reflect off the mirrors it proved to be a dance floor show stopper.”
Designed to rotate cars smoothly and silently while remaining virtually invisible, Movetech UK’ Merlin revolve is ideal for events such as Vauxhall Skate, where the set dressing is vital to the theme. It is also used extensively for temporary exhibitions or displays as it is easy to transport and can be run off the car’s own 12v battery if required.
All Movetech UK’s car revolves, which include full platform turntables, are available for outright purchase or short term rental.
Other cars showcased at the event were an Astra TwinTop and two Corsas, while celebrity DJs on the night included Sophie Ellis Bextor, Alfie Allen and the Queens of Noize.
