Between Twitter, the papers and Ad Age, I’ve gotten different bits of info on the Chevy Aveo Livin Large campaign, enough to want to check it out.
Ad Age writer Jean Halliday reports:
“Chevrolet is trying a new twist on viral marketing. General Motors Corp.’s volume brand said it’s offering up to 10 free rides a day to college students on six campuses in a Chevy Aveo5 hatchback and filming the experience.
Students are encouraged to ham it up. The videos will be posted within 24 hours of the ride to a special site, AveoLivinLarge. From here, the students can see the footage, pass it along to friends, or upload it to their blog pages or sites like Facebook.”
Later in Halliday’s piece, Chevrolet North America VP Ed Peper is quoted saying that the “College Cab” program “leverages the online tools young people are already using in a fun and interesting way.”
I have to say that the videos, especially the ones featuring freestyles, are pretty good. They provide a nice 3pm metal break, but I imagine that Chevy’s goal isn’t to go viral. It’s probably closer to something like selling more Aveos, and they’ll do it not because they were able to get some nice videos online but because they were able to create a cool experience for their target audience inside the car.
When it comes to cars, you can have the greatest commercials, the most clever taglines and the craziest celeb plugging the model for you, but in the end, it’s about the car. How do I feel when I get in? How’s the ride? Did I feel at one with the wheel? (Ok, the last one may be a little personal, but you get the point.) It’s about the experience.
This jumped out at me becuase I recently had a few errands to run and needed to rent a car. When I went to pick it up, they didn’t have the one I requested and asked if I wouldn’t mind trying out the HHR.
I would never have voluntarily chosen to get into this vehicle. It just didn’t speak to me, at least not in the same way the ultimate driving machine did. It took about 10 minutes to get used to it and before I knew it I was zipping up and down 66 and 395. I know some of you are making faces right now, but this thing can move! Even though it was by accident, I came to like the car. I had to actually get in the car to see myself in the car. Not an earth-shattering revelation, but it just occurred to me.
To all the marketers and PR pros out there, before you begin putting all your stock in going viral, remember that the best way to do it is still getting nonbelievers to have their own physical, offline experience with your product or service.
Posted by jaywalk1
Posted by jaywalk1
Posted by jaywalk1
