Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Tech, Lexus

Holographs have certainly come a long way and you just have to see this Lexus ad to believe it. The company Vizoo is responsible for its creation and has quite a few other non-automotive holographic projectors out there as well. You’ll find them quick enough if you click around YouTube for a bit. This particular one is an interactive display for Lexus that allows users to select models and colors before beaming them into the indoor space for a 360-degree walkaround of the lifesize virtual vehicle. It’s so realistic that the shop is drawing too big of a crowd for its own good. Police can be seen in the video asking people to move along. The old, “there’s nothing to see here” line just doesn’t hold water in this case though.

The full clip showing the crowd and parts of the ad is after the jump. There’s also a video showing ViZoo’s 3D floating video image technology in action.

[Source: Fresh Creation]

Continue reading VIDEO: Holy holograph! Lexus ad stops foot traffic in NYC

VIDEO: Holy holograph! Lexus ad stops foot traffic in NYC originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Mar 2007 13:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Ford

Clever commercials are nice. A grin on our face certainly increases the chance we’ll remember the brand that made us laugh. But now isn’t a time for jokes at Ford Motor Company, which finds itself ensconced in a difficult turnaround plan that has yet to get in gear. That’s why we actually like this new commercial called “Proof” because it doesn’t feature a Mustang Shelby GT500 on the Autobahn or a Fusion being pitted against its competitors. Rather, it features the best product Ford has at the moment: the Mustang, F-150, Fusion, Edge, Taurus and Escape Hybrid. Narrated by new Ford pitchman Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs fame, the spot is refreshening because it just cuts to the chase and lays it on the line by saying, in essence, “Here’s what we got, like it or not.”

Check out the commercial after the jump and let us know if you agree or think we’re whack.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading VIDEO: New “Proof” commercial puts Ford’s best foot forward

VIDEO: New “Proof” commercial puts Ford’s best foot forward originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sports/GTs, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Audi

var digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/world_news/Video_Warm_Up_Audi_s_First_Commercial_for_the_R8_Supercar’; A seminal car like the Audi R8 needs a proper marketing push to become an effective halo vehicle, so the Stuttgart crew has produced the first commerical for its supercar called “Warm Up”. Much like the recent Shell/Ferrari commercial (if you haven’t seen it, do so), “Warm Up” takes us from the past all the way up the present. Audi begins 70 years ago with the introduction of the mid-mounted engine, which leads to the use of aluminum construction for the first time, quattro all-wheel drive and finally the automaker’s FSI direct injection technology.

Filmed over six days in Mexico, “Warm Up” certainly has a lot of production appeal and features the R8 front and center the whole time. It also features five actors, 1,050 extras and 100 crew members. A little movie of its own, “Warm Up” will be debuted during the showing of “I, Robot” on the RTL Channel in Europe on April 6th.

Check out the full commercial after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading VIDEO: “Warm Up” Audi’s first commercial for the R8

VIDEO: “Warm Up” Audi’s first commercial for the R8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Mar 2007 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Gadgets, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Ferrari

Vertu has long been cultivating an image of association with the pinnacle of automotive excellence through their branding, use of materials and special editions. The latest effort is a collaboration with Ferrari, that Italian stallion that seemingly manages to get its name on everything these days.

Following on the heels of the exclusive Racetrack Legends series, the Ferrari Challenge edition is likewise based on the sporty Ascent handset that features proprietary “liquid alloy” construction, jewel bearings, a sapphire crystal screen and distinctive leather trim. The Ferrari version is differentiated by a Prancing Horse emblem near the mouthpiece, black and red leather with embossed Ferrari insignia, and a drilled accelerator pedal on the back.

[Source: Sybarites]

Continue reading Vertu rides the Prancing Horse

Vertu rides the Prancing Horse originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Marketing/Advertising, Toyota

It looks like the pickup truck wars are on, and one automaker from Japan is not declaring “Mission Accomplished”. Within the span of a couple months, the new “game-changing” Tundra was launched, Toyota then placed cash on the hood of the new truck, the guys and girls over at Nissan canceled their HD version of the Titan, and now more cash is needed to move Tundras.

The newest incentive calls for an additional $1,000 towards the trade-in of a regular or extended cab Tundra. The Crew Max still has zero incentives on it, but the base Tundra now carries up to $3,000 in cash on the hood, depending on the model and what region in which it’s purchased, which is very close to the $3,500 in incentives that you can get with a four year-old F-150. Special financing is also available on the Tundra for customers with Tier 1 or Tier 2 credit ratings.

Earlier this decade, Toyota did a terrific job of holding steady on incentives while the domestics went wild with 0% financing and $6,000 cash back offers. Now that it’s trying to tussle with the Detroit Three in the pickup truck segment, tried and true Toyota discipline is out the window. This isn’t a brand-new trend, either. Last year at this time, the previous generation Tundra had $4,500 on the hood, but we thought that trend would be coming to an end with the introduction of the new model. Guess not.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Yikes: Another $1,000 off on Toyota Tundra originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos

We’ve heard tales of people cooking on engine blocks or exhaust manifolds, but Peyton Manning has been paying attention to the elaborate setups that tailgaters bring to his games. This car has some nicely integrated features that make long distance trips even easier than they usually would be in a Mercedes S-Class, including an in-dash toaster oven, butler’s pantry in the trunk, and deeply bolstered toilet seats. They didn’t even need to invoke AMG to create a Benz that will roast your loaf. And since this is a Saturday Night Live production, don’t expect it to be anything but tongue-in-cheek.

Check out the video for yourself after the jump.

[Source: YouTube via Jalopnik]

http://jalopnik.com/cars/ad-watch/ad-watch-the-peyton-manning-meatloaf-mercedes-550-247039.php

Continue reading VIDEO: Peyton Manning hocks Mercedes 550 Meatloaf Edition on SNL

VIDEO: Peyton Manning hocks Mercedes 550 Meatloaf Edition on SNL originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Ferrari

Click image for high-res gallery of photos by Las de Alwis

It’s about time. That seemed to be the consensus of the invited guests at the grand opening of the Ferrari Store - Los Angeles. Coinciding with the marque’s 60th Anniversary world rally, the store held its grand opening celebration on Sunday at the Beverly Center. Besides being entertained by the hosts and hostesses, VIP guests were also treated to a display of Ferraris that included the 1961 Paris Motor Show 275 GTS 2+1, a 275 GTB, and a Formula 1 car among others.

The L.A. location joins the chain that includes a few Italian locations, as well as several others around the world. Late last year Ferrari opened a new store in Qatar, marking their entry into the Middle East. The boutique shops sells Ferrari accessories, clothing, and other merchandise. Similar to the other American store at The Wynn in Las Vegas, the Beverly Center store has clothes, shoes, toys, keychains and other accessories, all bearing the Ferrari logo or Ferrari images.

The Ferrari Store - Los Angeles is located on the 6th floor of the Beverly Center at 8500 Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles. Tel. 310-657-9800. Well worth a stop if you happen to be in L.A. and happen to love or even like Enzo’s works.

Ferrari Store - Los Angeles opens in the Beverly Center originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, LLC., Daimler, Dodge

The Fantastic Four will be counting on Hemi power in their fight against evil this June 15th. That’s right, the crime-fighting quartet will be battling the Silver Surfer on movie screens around the globe with a 550 MPH Dodge with some serious Hemi horsepower. Chrysler designer Trevor Creed helped out with the design of the super duper supercar, and you can see Dodge emblems on the seat-backs and front grille. The crazy cool Fantastic Four mobile will also be able to reach 30,000 feet and split into three sections. We looked around, and there is no SRT badging anywhere to be found, but there’s a rumor that Stow-N-Go seating is standard. In an unusual twist, the “Fantasticar” is rumored to be on eBay, with Dr. Doom as the highest bidder.

We’d read an article recently in the Detroit News that stated that Chrysler needed a home run vehicle to pull the company through their latest rough patch. We think this will do just fine. We just hope they get rid of the gold paint job in time for production.

[Source: The Car Connection]

HEMI Power comes to the big screen in Fastastic Four sequel originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Pontiac

Back before engine bays were tightly packed, feline friends would sometimes hop up on a warm engine in the cooler weather. Proximity to the cooling fan would occasionally lead to ah, colorful results. We’re sure that no tigers were harmed in the filming of this ‘65 GTO commercial that the guys at WheelsTV dug up. The Pontiac line was sold with the “Wide-Track Tiger” descriptor. The advertising guys did a nice job getting the Poncho to eat the tiger, though, and it’s always fun to waste a little time watching vintage advertising. We can just imagine all the pointless ass-covering fig leaves that’d be supered at the bottom of the picture were this ad to play today.

[Source: WheelsTV]

Continue reading VIDEO: Tiger underhood! ‘65 GTO commercial

VIDEO: Tiger underhood! ‘65 GTO commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Mar 2007 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Wagons/Estates, Marketing/Advertising, Volkswagen

VW’s Passat R36 is, unquestionably, the coolest-looking Passat you (assuming “you” live on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean) can buy today. With its slammed-to-the-ground stance, 10-spoke wheels, and aggressive-looking aero bits, it looks more like a product that should be sporting four rings on the grille and not the circular “VW” badge. Oh, and 300 horsepower doesn’t hurt, either. Volkswagen worked with OPTIX Digital Pictures to create the TV spot we’ve embedded after the jump, which depicts one of the R36 wagons in a race against an arrow launched from an archer’s bow. Sure, it doesn’t really make a lot of sense, but the car’s a hot number and the music’s good. Also, because it’s a European spot, it’s refreshingly devoid of the usual CYA legalese on-screen disclaimers, because Europeans don’t need to be told that racing Robin Hood’s arrow can be dangerous.

UPDATE: Added the YouTube version after the jump as well for those if you who had trouble w/ the Netscape Video.

[Source: Optix Digital via GermanCarBlog]

Continue reading VIDEO: VW Passat R36 “The Battle” commercial

VIDEO: VW Passat R36 “The Battle” commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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