In its latest promotion for new customers, Honda is giving U.S. buyers a chance to win a ride with Mario Andretti in a two-seater IndyCar at the Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway. According to the Japanese automaker, the winner will ride in the IZOD IndyCar during the parade laps, and be on course for the start of the race.
To create a bit of a buzz around the contest, Honda released this commercial with Mario Andreti. Sounds interesting, but it isn't. See why in the video after the jump.
At least in Europe, Honda is following some pretty unconventional methods to promote its new CR-Z hybrid sports coupe. In fact, unless you're the artsy type or have a vivid imagination, you'll have a pretty hard time trying to figure out how Honda, the CR-Z or any car for that matter, fit in the "Live Every Litre" film project.
But just so you can get an idea, the "Live Every Litre" is supposed to be a documentary-style road movie in which numerous members of the public have been nominated by the project's online community to realize their dream in the new Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe.
In this case, Agent Lynch, aka Kate Rawlinson (originally from Newcastle), wanted to perform the world's first guerrilla burlesque routine in the streets of Monmartre in Paris.
The young law-degree-holder, who by the way, does not appear to have a driver's license as she had her boyfriend drive the CR-Z (...), performed a public striptease for the unsuspecting yet clearly delighted Paris crowd.
Agent Lynch left little to the imagination stripping from her vintage dress right down to her lacy lingerie and then to top it off, she poured blue paint all over her naked body before imprinting herself on a white and red satin flag to form the French tricolore - sweet.
Not that we have anything whatsoever against young women showing off their bodies in the name of art, but we repeat; all this was done as part of Honda's European promotion of the new CR-Z. Then again, we did post a story on the event...
With all the recent hubbub around General Motors reorganizing its marketing campaigns and strategies, this ad-based lawsuit stands out like a sore thumb.
Way back in September, GMC ran four-page ad in People's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue. Nothing special there. However, a part of the ad used Einstein's face on a model's body, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has the rights to his image (which earned $10 million last year)
Now the university is suing GM for $75,000, claiming Einstein's likeness was fraudulently used in the ad. GM spokeswoman Ryndee Carney defends GM by saying the automaker bought the right to use the image from a known firm, and that the ad itself (which only ran in that issue) was created by the Leo Burnett agency.
John T. Brooks, an estate/trust lawyer for Foley & Lardner LLP in Chicago, explains how all this might play out: "It may be GM thought, 'Oh, he died and the rights are all public domain now.' It's old and cold and nobody's got rights to it...I suppose you could make a business decision that you can make so much money that you can withstand a lawsuit that would tell them to stop and fine them something. It wouldn't be the first time a corporation has done something thinking they might pay the price for it, but it's worth it."
Of course it's worth it; all this lawsuit is for General Motors is extra publicity generated by a bought-and-pain-for ad from last September.
Question for our readers: In your opinion, how do four cougar-aged women who can't keep their panties (or their brains) on after one shot of tequila and a guy named 'Mr Big' relate to Daimler's Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products/brand?
While you think about it let us tell you that, as with the first installment of the male-snoozefest that is "Sex and the City", the sequel to the movie that hits cinemas on 27 May will see most characters driving or being driven in a bunch of Mercedes-Benz and Maybach models.
If you're still here, in addition to the Mercedes-Benz S400 HYBRID, Mr. Big (Chris North) now also drives the new E-Class Cabriolet while Samantha (portrayed by actress Kim Cattrall) ditches her GLK soft off-roader from the first film for the more masculine G-Class.
Lexus wants to give people a chance to call the shots in a new video campaign focusing on its upcoming 2011 CT 200h five-door hatchback. It's called "Dark Ride".
The luxury marque is making a short action film with a recognizable star racing around it a new model. Now you're thinking, "Wait, didn't BMW do this a while back? And Audi (kind of), more recently?"
Ah, but those films weren't interactive...
Here's how Lexus marketing VP Dave Nordstrom spins it: "With 'Dark Ride' we are creating a unique virtual test drive opportunity so consumers can experience this hybrid, that is like no other, months before it is available at dealerships in early 2011. In it, consumers play a co-starring role as the fun-to-drive Lexus CT 200h is put through its paces. By guiding the driver and the CT through a series of adventures, customers will be exposed to 'The Darker Side of Green,' which is completely different than the way hybrids are usually portrayed."
I would have cut that down for you, but you have to see for yourself how hard Lexus is selling it.
If you want to see the short film, head on over to the official site. Lexus says you can put yourself in the movie and even record your own lines, so...someone do that and send it in.
Ford's looking to make a big statement with its upcoming Fiesta, and it seems like the new-age consumer-driven marketing has been a success. Now, the gurus behind the campaign have come up with a new one.
Recently, they put out a challenge to the public: come up with different tests to help assess the Fiesta and see how it stacks up against some major players. This one pits the upcoming Fiesta hatch against a Lambo in some real-world (and Fiesta-centric) tests.
It's a tad cheesy, but you should still be able to enjoy the show. Video after the break.
Icy-cold yet disturbingly sexy actress Uma Thurman and William Shakespeare's verses "We are such stuff as dreams are made on" are the key highlights of Alfa Romeo's advertising campaign for the new Giulietta hatchback that will kick off with a TV commercial in Italy on 16 May.
Created by Leo Burnett, the international campaign on TV, press, posters, radio and web, across all the main countries in Europe, is said to play on the parallelism between the star of movies such as Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta.
In the TV commercial, that was entirely filmed in the USA, Uma Thurman is said to play the roles of five different women who symbolize the different souls of the car.
The new Ford Focus-sized Giulietta goes on sale on May 22 and will be available with a raft of engines including a 1.4-liter petrol with 120HP and 170HP, a 1.6-liter diesel with 105 and a range-topping 1.75-liter petrol with 235HP.
When you're in the business of selling premium champagnes to the rich and famous, you can't go promoting your goods in a Bedford van. With this in mind, Krug Champagne, one of the one of the crown jewels in the LVMH (Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton) wine division, ordered this bizarre Rolls Royce "bread van" for commercial purposes back in 1984.
The car was eventually sold by the company but has now returned to the House of Krug in Reims, the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, as a museum piece.
The Rolls Royce is a 1979 Silver Shadow II Sedan converted into a three-door commercial van with front seats for driver and one passenger and an open rear compartment fitted with two refrigerators. The vehicle bears the Krug crest and logos while it also gets a special cork key ring.
As you've probably already heard, Audi has once again teamed up with the creators of the original blockbuster Iron Man marketing its R8 Spyder in the sequel as the personal car of billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.).
Of course, the German firm is trying to make the best of its participation in the movie releasing a dedicated commercial as well as photos from the world premiere of Iron Man 2, which took place on Monday in Los Angeles and saw Robert Downey Jr. arriving at the El Capitan Theatre in the drop-top supercar. Hit the jump for both the video and photo gallery.
In its latest promotion for new customers, Honda is giving U.S. buyers a chance to win a ride with Mario Andretti in a two-seater IndyCar at the Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway. According to the Japanese automaker, the winner will ride in the IZOD IndyCar during the parade laps, and be on course for the start of the race.
