The Campaign Blog

Suzanne Bidlake

Aegis-owned AgenciaClick, Sao Paulo, won a cyber gold at the Wave Festival in Rio last week. It was for an anti-drink drive banner campaign for Fiat – but it wasn’t the work the agency was most proud of.
Ricardo Figueira, VP creative director for Isobar Latin America, told me about a “virtual test drive” for its five year old client that sounded a lot of fun – and effective.
Bang on target for its 20-something audience, the online campaign offers the chance for up to five people to “get inside” a Fiat Punto and embark on a virtual test drive.
Using web cams, everyone in the car is able to see each other and converse during the three to four minute ride. Not only that, text messages to passengers’ mobile phones are broadcast out loud for others to hear, causing much hilarity and prank-playing among friends, Figueira says.
Naturally, Fiat also texts its own messages into the car (having accessed mobile numbers via the online registration process), giving more information about the vehicle.
In the first month, the number of “cars” running at any one time reached 2,000, carrying 5,000 people. Impressive.
Riders are also offered a voucher to win a Punto when entered in a draw at a dealership - a mechanic that reveals 70 per cent of people who have so far requested real test drives at dealerships have taken the virtual drive. And that’s the real test.
The campaign launched the Punto in Brazil at the end of last year and “Punto. You are in command” picked up a cyber silver at Wave. It’s much more of a full internet experience” than the gold-winning banner campaign – but inevitably less emotional than one which drives a life-saving message.
You can attempt the drive at www.fiatpunto.com.br
Would it get anywhere at Cannes?