In lieu of their new XC90 V8 and the upcoming
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Volvo came up with the brilliant scheme of making a
worldwide treasure hunt out of it. It's genius in a marketing sense since it's never been done before. And from as long as I can remember, no other car company has gone to great lengths to create an interactive game this huge for their consumers and potential future customers. It'll get people talking, consumers interested in the product, and future potential advertisers.
The game is along the lines of this summer's
Lost Experience. For those of you not familiar with the hit TV show
Lost, the fated flight Oceanic 815 crashed upon a mysterious island where as episodes progressed more secrets about the island arose. Perhaps a psychological experiment? The fictional Hanso Foundation and Dharma Initiative might be able to unlock these secrets. So what the producers of the show and ABC have done is created an interactive "experience" where viewers can watch for strategically placed numbers and websites to visit or call giving more information about these fake companies.
Anyway, back to Volvo and their ingenious marketing strategy. You begin by visiting your local Volvo dealership and receiving a treasure map in return for viewing the cars they have and possibly even taking a test drive. It's win-win for both the dealer and the consumer. After logging online, you have the chance to solve a series of puzzles which ultimately leads to finalists brought to the hidden location and going on a mad dash for the buried prize. More details at the
official website.
Labels: advertising, marketing, pirates, volvo
