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VW Launches 2010 GTI Exclusively Via Mobile Phone Game
In an atmosphere of disappearing print magazines, increased TV viewing on the Web, and a tough market for both car buyers and dealers, one of the few successful car companies alive today needs to change the game a bit. So with the introduction of a niche-y hot hatch that isn't even that cheap, Volkswagen hits hard with quick and dirty campaign on everyone's favorite toy -- the iPhone. This morning, Volkswagen became the first auto manufacturer to launch (by launch, we mean advertise) a car solely on the Apple phone. No, it's not an app, but rather, an exclusive, playable, and independent level of iPhone racing game Firement Real Racing, which has already received 70-million downloads since launching back in June.
Available on the iTunes App Store for free, the 'Real Racing GTI' level lets you choose from six different 2010 GTIs and race them on a track laden with VW logos. Unfortunately, it doesn't integrate with the rest of the game, but it does have one killer feature: Players can compete to win one of six limited-edition black GTI MkVI cars, which have special stitching on the floor mats and head rests, carbon-fiber finishes on the doors and mirrors, red calipers on the wheels, and special logos on the front and on the steering wheel (see close-ups of the cars in the slideshow below). In addition, the 2010 GTI's sound system has been upgraded to include full iPod integration (so you can access your full music library on the car's dashboard versus a simple auxiliary connection).
Over the course of six weeks starting today, players can race as often as they want and scores are automatically uploaded to an online database -- the best score for each week wins the car for that week. Players are also able to send live tweets to their friends on Twitter right from the game, as well as upload videos of their races to YouTube.
In a fairly revolutionary decision, this is the only marketing and advertising that VW is doing for the car. The decision is to attract a young and savvy audience, and is a lot less expensive -- costing a quarter of a typical print and television ad, according to some folks we spoke to about car marketing, who did not want to be identified.
"It's not about the money," says Charlie Taylor, VW's General Manager of Digital Marketing. In other words, VW probably wouldn't be spending a lot on this car since it generally has a pretty specialist audience. "Most people who want this car already know about it," Taylor confirms. Still, there are some iPhone gamers -- namely, 21-34-year-old men (about 4-million of them, according to VW's independent research) -- who may want this car and not quite know it yet. By going after that audience in a very targeted, cutting-edge way -- via the iPhone -- VW hopes to sell more of the right cars to the right people. Or that's the idea, anyway. Six of those who play the game, at any rate, will be getting those cars for free.
Check out the slideshow below for pictures of the limited edition cars, the VW GTI iPhone game, and The Roots' ?uestlove, who was DJ-ing VW's launch event at New York City's Classic Car Club last night.
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