Top Gear

Driving traffic to the world’s biggest motoring platform

The team behind the world’s most widely watched factual TV programme, Top Gear, wanted a new website to mirror its success on screen and to boost its advertising revenue. We asked ourselves, why wasn't the biggest name in cars actually selling them so we put car buying functionality at the heart of the new digital proposition.

Link to website

People’s Voice Winner

Webby Awards

↑50%

increase in user session duration in first year

↑53%

from 42% of all visits are from a mobile device

↑4.23

from 2.98 pages per session

New TopGear Website containing Long Read Article

Top Gear mobile-first fully responsive website design

High definition imagery - Bently GTC

Wealth of content including articles and long reads

A content-rich experience

Taking a mobile first approach, we introduced a host of new features: the world’s go-to car news service, a fully searchable real-time database of every new car on-sale, and a new video hub with exclusive behind-the-scenes content and viral videos. We also helped bring the magazine's feature content to life in a new ‘Big Read’ long-form article format, providing users with a richer content experience. Social touch points were important throughout to build and foster Top Gear communities online.

Chris Harris Drives in video carousel

Big Reads

Driving new revenue streams

With the redesign having a greater focus on the car-buying process, Top Gear were able to partner with brands such as Auto Trader, WeBuyAnyCar and Motoring.co.uk on a car review database, allowing users to order brochures and book test drives direct from Top Gear. Due to these innovative formats, new commision-based interactions, and premium cars brands bidding for space on competitor reviews, revenue increased as did engagement rates amongst TopGear’s discerning car-buying audience.

Filterable Quick Car Finder results

BBC Worldwide's Benchmark

The site was delivered in a way that allowed BBC Worldwide, Top Gear's parent company to package the digital experience as a value-add to the programme rights, to franchisees in markets around the world. Developed applying agile methodologies and co-location, the redesign process became a benchmark for BBCWW. Our 'One Team' approach created a fully integrated core team of design, UX, and development, utilising the best talent from BBCWW and Brand42.

High definition content featuring Audi

"Brand42 has brought the right mix of technological know-how and brand expertise, coupled with a unique, creative approach that has allowed us to deliver the website that Top Gear audiences have been waiting for"

Charlie Turner | Editor-in-Chief, BBC Top Gear Magazine

Success in numbers