ExxonMobil Gets Attention With Inflatable Oil Bottles
ExxonMobil is using 10- to 30-feet tall Mobil 1 Drive Clean Plus Motor Oil Bottle inflatables to increase visibility from a distance, improve store traffic and attract attention to the Mobil 1 Traveling Exhibit.
The giant cold air inflatables promote the new Mobil 1 Drive Clean Plus High Mileage formula, which is what the bottle depicts.
The ExxonMobil Motor Oil Bottle inflatables were produced by The Inflatable Marketplace, located in El Cajon, CA.
Pennzoil Campaign Gives Engines What They Want
Pennzoil has launched a new marketing campaign that aims to let consumers understand exactly what an engine wants -- Pennzoil. The tagline is “Not just oil, Pennzoil.”
The campaign features the engine as the hero in outdoor, national and local radio, point of purchase and interactive communications. TBWA\Chiat\Day is the ad agency for the campaign.
“TBWA\Chiat\Day has delivered a remarkably fresh campaign, brilliant in its ability to deliver objectives simply and in a most entertaining way. We’re very excited about it because it signifies a new approach to motor oil advertising,” said Tami Talbert, Director, Pennzoil Brand Management at Shell Lubricants.
“This campaign makes people care about their engines and the brand of oil they put into their engines,” said Steve Hanson, Sr. V.P. Pennzoil Motor Oil Branding.
Volkswagen’s New Beetle & Apple’s iPod Unite To Offer On-Road Music
Volkswagen of America and Apple Computers are joining forces to provide 2003 New Beetle sedan buyers with a complimentary Apple iPod digital music player.
The initiative, dubbed “Pods Unite,” will be featured prominently in media advertising. Sleek iPod displays will also adorn Volkswagen dealer showrooms.
Apple’s iPod digital music player possesses a 15-gigabyte hard drive with storage space for more than 3,700 songs. Volkswagen’s iPod connectivity kit completes the pairing, with the ability to create and remotely access a road-ready digital music library.
“The union of the iPod and the Beetle represents one of the most stylish ways to take your entire music collection with you on the road,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s V.P.of Hardware Product Marketing.
“Apple’s audience is a lot like our audience,” said Karen Marderosian, Volkswagen Marketing Director. “A group that embraces something different, simple and unconventional. We think this initiative represents a natural alliance of two like-minded brands.”
7-Eleven & Chevron Test Co-Branding
7-Eleven, Inc. is testing a co-branding program with Chevron U.S.A., Inc. The companies have selected 20 7-Eleven and Chevron locations in Florida, Texas, and California to feature both brands. Plans call for 11 7-Eleven stores to offer Chevron-branded gasoline and nine Chevron sites to convert their convenience-store format to 7-Eleven.
Teens React To Recent Auto Marketing Campaigns
According to a recent study by NFO Automotive, a division of the market research firm, NFO WorldGroup, Honda and Volkswagen are capturing the largest percentages of the teen market with teens putting the two manufacturers on the top of their wish list. Surprisingly, some auto brands that have been trying hardest to capitalize on this market are at the bottom of the
scale.
In the study, Honda scored the highest, (217) and Volkswagen scored (200) Pontiac was in third place with a score of 167. Domestic brands such as Ford and Chevrolet were in the Average category.
Brands that fell into the Weak category include Toyota, Jeep and Nissan. These brands are traditionally associated as teen-oriented and recently have been putting more efforts behind marketing to this demographic.
“Honda and Volkswagen have clearly gelled with the teen psyche and are punching above their weight in the market, but others may be trying too hard or not trying hard enough,” said Andy Turton, President of NFO Automotive.
STERLING PROMOTIONAL CORP.
Teens React To Recent Auto Marketing Campaigns
Kelley Blue Book, (www.kbb.com,) has issued a New Vehicle-Buyer Attitude Study on the “family car.” The study shows that while minivans still provide many of the features desired by family car shoppers, half would rather be driving something else. 29% of those who say a minivan best fulfills their needs would rather be driving an SUV.
“What we see in this study is a style versus functionality issue,” said Charlie Vogelheim, Exec. Editor, Kelley Blue Book. “Minivans have long been associated with ‘a car full of kids,’ which may be driving newer younger families toward more SUV-type styling. But new minivans are coming out this year with more versatile features that may break through the stereotype and be the family car of a new generation.”
Safety is seen as the most important attribute when buying a family car. Value and comfort run close behind. While family car shoppers say storage capacity is not an important factor, 73% say the car will be used to run errands “often” versus 44% using the family car to transport children “often.”
Toyota Opens In-Bowl "Tundra Zone"
The "Tundra Zone" at Toyota Center, the newly named Houston Rockets and Comets arena in Houston, TX, is the first in-bowl vehicle display in the country. Toyota Center will serve as the home to Houston’s professional basketball franchises and the American Hockey League’s Houston Aeros, as well as for entertainment shows.
The “Tundra Zone” consists of a double-size suite, which will accommodate Toyota customers. The signature element of the ‘Tundra Zone” will be the placement of an actual Toyota Tundra in the suite, marking the only in-bowl vehicle display in any arena in the country.
Additionally, fans attending events at Toyota Center will have the opportunity to view the latest models of Toyota cars and trucks at the Toyota automobile showroom located in the main concourse.
Deborah Wahl Meyer, Marketing Manager, Toyota, said, "Toyota Center offers a premier branding opportunity for Toyota."
Wal-Mart Wiper Blade Merchandiser
This Replacement Wiper Blade Merchandiser is a 2-tiered, all metal unit bracketed to fit standard 48" wide gondola systems with 24" decks. Each 48" module ships fully assembled, ready for set-up. A large l4" x 47 ¾" channel on the front and back of each 48" unit is included for signage. To sell replacement wipers, a strong sales message needs to be visible. To achieve this, two large graphic panels were incorporated into each 48" display module. The display offers a large selection of brands and styles and maintains a sufficient inventory of popular sellers. A moveable wire divider system makes revising the product mix and maintaining inventory levels quick and simple. The Wiper Blade Merchandiser was created by Thorco Industries, Inc., l300 E. l2th Street, Lamar, Missouri 64759.
Captive Audience offers Digital POP which was used as the "Star Salesperson" at Rockland Toyota. A l00" screen interspersing beauty shots with practical sales messages for service, branded merchandise or the latest financing deals was featured. Eye-grabbing content alternated between video provided by Toyota and full-motion, full-color messages were developed by Captive Audience. The screen is the dominant factor in the showroom. In the dealership's café a smaller unit played its own content while visually alerting customers when their car was ready. Other screens "sell" in select nooks throughout the building. For more information, contact Captive Audience, One Industrial Drive, Vernon, NJ .
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