Range Rover Sets up House in Whistler
Centre stage was the unveiling of the special edition Range Rover Arete.
Lindsey Vonn had not been back to Whistler since 2010, when she won a gold medal in downhill skiing at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. That changed in late February when Range Rover House rolled into Western Canada’s snow sports mecca and Vonn rode along in her role as a brand ambassador for arguably the world’s most iconic four-by-four.
Range Rover House is the newest concept from Jaguar Land Rover, a travelling circus looking for a new way for consumers to engage with the brand. In locations like Carmel-by-the-Sea in California, Paris, and now Whistler, Range Rover House aims to provide more than a showroom for the brand’s newest launch, instead positioning itself as a lifestyle event, a cultural moment tied to the products but providing the luxuries and experiences of a vacation.
In simple terms, Range Rover House is an example of experiential marketing. In tandem with traditional advertising in print outlets and online, brands are looking more and more at creating an experience. Think about how restaurants, upcoming chefs, or clothing brands now put on pop-ups. By taking the cars out of the showroom and into some of the most popular locations around the world, Range Rover is searching for new ways for customers to engage with the brand, and importantly, make it a highly memorable experience.
In Whistler the setting was the recently opened Wedge Mountain Lodge, set below the Garibaldi ranges and the distinctive peak of its namesake, a memorable location in its own right. At the front gate, adorned with Range Rover’s iconic name, a fully functional Range Rover SE sat roughly 10 feet in the air on a specially built plinth. (A staff member mentioned that it had been hoisted up by a crane sometime in the prior week.) Inside, wine and food were available along with a host of other amenities, including a Range Rover theatre and a sound bath.
The varied locations of the events also provide the opportunity to test drive the vehicles in diverse environments. This one allowed drivers to sample a variety of models on the road before heading into the forests to test off-road capabilities. With a dedicated member of Range Rover’s driving team alongside, it provides potential buyers with not only a fun test drive but also huge amounts of
Centre stage in Whistler was the unveiling of the special edition Range Rover Arete, its design inspired by the snowy mountain landscape of the surrounding area. The name is derived from the Greek word representing excellence. The Arete is adorned in a blue shade that has never been seen before on a Range Rover and will not be used in the future. Eight of these specialty vehicles are available to purchase for guests at Range Rover House Whistler.
Alongside the car, buyers will receive two sets of skis or two snowboards from local snow sports equipment brand Prior, customized to the rider’s specifications and skill level, that feature the same shade of blue as the car. Further, for each SV Arete sold a donation will be made to two local organizations, Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre and the Audain Art Museum. The Arete is the prime example of Range Rover House’s goal: to create a unique moment tied to the cars on display but also tied to the stunning location.
