To launch the first Scout vehicles in over 40 years, Scout Motors wanted to make their grand introduction to the world with a high-impact, headline-grabbing reveal event that communicates their entire brand ethos.
Scout had ambitious objectives and a lot of market scrutiny. The design team had built incredible vehicles but needed the messaging structure to talk about what set us apart as a fleet and a brand.
New Moon needed to lock down Scout’s story across launch, social, PR, and more — and bring it to life in a singular event for 300+ VIP guests.
Our concept centered on the idea that “Scouts Always Come Back”. A strong statement about the reinvigoration of our brand and our connection to the aptitude and resilience of Scouts.
We partnered with the Scout team, working collaboratively to apply that strategy through multiple lens.
Scout Motors is a new EV manufacturer backed by VW Group, but its roots run deep. The original Scout vehicles were icons in the American auto market from the early ‘60s, when they effectively birthed the SUV category with statement-making do-it-all trucks, to the early ‘80s when a tough economy forced them to cease production. 40 years have since gone by, with a small but dedicated community remaining. But with the EV market growing, Scout Motors was created to reimagine those classic vehicles with the aesthetics and innovation of today. This comeback had to hit all the right notes from the start, and New Moon’s challenge was to craft a journey that captured the rich history of Scout, while opening the doors for a new era.
To achieve that we looked at the things that make Scout stand out: being the only new auto company with an existing history, possessing a pioneering attitude that defines the brand and its drivers, emphasizing community and connection beyond the product, and capturing the spirit of the Southeast. We then had to channel those values through experiences that would both immerse and inspire. From the moment they arrived to the last sip of their nightcap, we needed to ignite the Scout identity within 300+ guests. And with only 1 day to do so, we had to make every second count.
Our strategy quickly broke out into key questions that would shape the event and stay true to Scout values: where could we host this event, who would be there, what would their experience look like, and how would that be amplified? These questions were all being solved simultaneously, with the key narratives of the Scout brand guiding each decision.
Southall Farm and Inn was an ideal setting; set just outside of Nashville, it was easily accessible, blended earthy, rustic elements with modern refinement, and offered a scenic backdrop for the vehicle reveal. Our guest list approach featured a breadth of cultural pioneers, auto enthusiasts, heritage Scout owners, and auto-focused journalists, but we also had to factor in Scout’s desire to build community. Everyone invited to attend had to align with Scout’s ethos, but we also considered guests who have the potential to grow, collaborate, and engage with the brand in the future, and people who embody a genuine passion for the Scout lifestyle. That meant people like photographer and adventurer Chris Burkard, auto-focused content creators including Drake Moschkau and Zack Nelson, outdoor enthusiast Justin Tse, and snowboarder Jamie Anderson, all of whom attended.
Then came the actual experience, each part of which was carefully designed to reflect the brand. The first part of the day was designed around that community-focused pillar. Rather than overwhelm the guests with product, we used this moment to build rapport and get the crowd engaged in the day to come. A community link-up allowed the guests to get to know each other, before breaking off into group activities that captured the outdoor, rugged, and pioneering spirit of Scout. Some went on a guided hike or learned about selecting produce with Southall’s chef. Others engaged in hands-on activites like woodworking and a fire-cooking class with our guest chef Derek Wolf. We even had an axe-throwing range and an aerial adventure course, in addition to other activities that unlocked a sense of fun and inhibition. All of this created a sense of belonging—in this moment they were truly living the Scout way—and a welcomed outcome of that was they got in the spirit of things, choosing to create content without prompt.
Then came the moment that the entire event rested on: the reveal. We had to maximize impact here, and how we chose to play it out would determine the success or failure of the whole day. It was a high risk situation—if anything went wrong, it could create skepticism in the entire brand—but we decided it was important to do things a little differently.
To create a truly immersive experience for guests, we decided to reveal the vehicles in their natural habitat. We opted for a grand, scenic setting on top of a hill overlooking Southall, taking the time to build a stage, LED screens on the flanks with teaser imagery, and bleacher seating, all to create an association between Scout and the great outdoors. This wasn’t the overwrought or trend-driven studio setting that auto makers typically opt for; here we wanted to simplify and keep it direct. That translated effectively to the livestream, which reached over 10,000 viewers plus all of the Youtube viewers, all without paid support.
Since the cars were only prototypes, we had to solve for a way for guests to experience the capabilities of the vehicles without actually being able to get inside one. The result was ‘The Studio,’ a space we designed to offer tactility for a product that isn’t even on the market yet. Working hand in glove with the Scout Design team, we realised we’re almost designing this space from a blank sheet of paper, thus our creative team’s curation skills really needed to come forward. Here we brought together materials, color palettes, early concept sketches, and design details to envelop guests in Scout’s process immediately following the grand reveal, right when they were at their most excited and curious. It also served as the cocktail hour ahead of our communal barbecue dinner and musical performance, where we brought it back to the spirit of community and evoked the culture of the Southeast.
These were some bold plays for a brand introduction, but boldness was required to separate Scout from the pack, and with a core strategy so closely integrated with their brand DNA, we were confident we would deliver. And the results spoke for themselves: we achieved over 3 billion press impressions, glowing press across auto, tech, and lifestyle categories, earned coverage from key influencers, and Scout exceeded their expected reservations for vehicles—all driven by our strategic programming.
What made this such a special endeavor for New Moon is that it didn’t just challenge us from a client point of view, but challenged the notion of a typical auto-focused agency which many manufacturers seek out. If brands want to establish a distinct identity in crowded markets, they can’t just rely on playbooks; they need to seek out the unexpected and be willing to defy the norm. Scout Motors prides itself on its pioneering spirit, and for that they needed an agency that’s willing to go off the beaten path too.
If that sounds like the brand you’re trying to create, let’s get in touch.