Land Rover is partnering with a variety of multimedia outlets to advertise the North American launch of the all-new off-roader.
If you don’t know the all-new 2017 Discovery is coming to dealerships this month, you will. Land Rover is going to make sure of that.
The automaker is starting its marketing campaign for the 5-/7-seater off-roader with the above spot, called “Serenity in the Storm.” It shows Sir Ben Ainslie in a Discovery charging through the whipping grit of a massive sandstorm. He soon clears the windy chaos. (When we drove the Discovery out in the remote areas of Utah and Arizona, we learned how well it drives over sand, instead of through it.)
Ainslie comes upon a group of men in jerseys. They happen to be his five Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) sailing teammates. After winding through desert landscape, the crew ends its journey aboard a racing yacht. Soon it’ll be using one in the real world in hopes of winning the 35th America’s Cup.
Get used to seeing that commercial because it’s also being broadcast on CNN, ESPN, the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, The Weather Channel, and HGTV.
According to Land Rover, “In collaboration with The New York Times and the Travel Channel, consumers will join adventurer Josh Gates on a ‘Live Journey’ of exploration in the Discovery through immersive technologies including live video, social connections and 360 video.” The Discovery will also appear in a mobile guide featuring stories and footage inspired by the CNN show “Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown” called “Explore Parts Unknown.” As part of the digital video series, Bourdain uses a new Discovery to tour the urban and rural parts of Catalonia, Spain.
You’ll also see the Discovery here on Jaguar Forums (again) as soon as we can get our hands on one to review for an entire week.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
