Test Drive a Real Car Online

In a creative new internet advertising campaign, Mitsubishi is taking the online car shopping experience to a whole new level. From your own home one can control a real live car. You can drive a car using your keyboard and drive through a controlled course. This ad campaign takes consumer engagement to a whole new level. I've seen advergames where you drive a fake car around a virtual world, but being able to control a real life car from your computer? That's genius! Granted you don't get the feel of actually test-driving a car, but as far as getting the word out about your product, job well done Mitsubishi.

Top 10 Viral Ads

This is by far one of my favorite posts so far. The Times online has ranked the Top 10 most viral ad campaigns of all time. They give a short description and tell how they went viral. My favorite campaign on the list is the Diet Coke and Mentos campaign. If you don't know what happens when you combine these two top products in a 2 liter bottle, then you've lived under a rock the last 10 years. According to the Times, the campaign wasn't even planned. The fact that this happened by accident just makes it that much better. Someone posted a home video of an explosion made by combining mentos in a diet coke bottle. The videos went viral as nobody thought it could really happen. Before Coke or Mentos could get a hold of it, there were thousands of online videos and even coke/mentos explosions matched to opera music. All of the sudden people are talking about the two products more than the companies could have ever wanted.

Here is the rest of the list

Doritos

"Change the Game"

Doritos has always been a game changer. From having the funniest commercials to the most energetic ad campaigns, Doritos has always done it's best to be considered the cool snack. If you visit their website, you will be immersed in the many different ways that Doritos convinces users that they are indeed the cool chip. From movies, games, users video clips, advergames, and other forms of consumer engagement, Doritos proves once again that it is the cool chip. I'll be back later. I'm going to the store for the new doritos combo flavors bag. Did I mention that there is a 3D side to their website? oh yeah...

Nike+

Nike has combined advertising and exercising in a way that engages the consumer.

Using Nike+, nike has engaged a entire new consumer base to their business. More and more people want their friends to see how much they ran and post their recent run results on facebook. Not only does this require the purchase of multiple Nike brand products, but it can become addictive to compete against your friends in your exercise routines. The more you work out the more nike products you'll be introduced to on you Nike+ account. Eventually you'll be a running/walking advertisement for Nike products. This is exactly what Nike wants and it's exactly what Nike will get. Excuse me while i go for a run. You'll see my results posted later.

Oceanspray Looking for new Demographic

Oceanspray

I recently saw an ad for Oceanspray on tv. The ad was short and sweet. "Our stuff is good. Check us out on facebook and twitter. That is all." This new type of television advertising says a lot about the direction advertising is going. More and more ad campaigns are completely web-based. I took a minute to visit the facebook and twitter page for Oceanspray. You have an option to sign up for news, specials, recipes or just comment on their products. This way of engaging the consumer is all the rage and I'm sure that you'll see more and more of this in the future.

Randall's Gas Savings Ad

Randall's

If you go search for the local weather on weather.com, chances are you'll get all kinds of household items advertisements thrown at you. This is no coincidence. These ads are targeted to the normal viewer of weather.com. One can infer that if someone is planning their day, then they plan other things as well. Why not plan your gas budget and grocery store visit while you're checking the weather for you day. On my last visit to weather.com, I saw an ad for Randall's and a coupon site for groceries. Next time you are checking the weather, see if the ads on the page are relevant to what you are planning that day. I think you'd be surprised.

Targeted search results

Search for "new car purchase" on google.com

What comes up? ford? chevrolet? GM? BMW?

No, what comes up is a list of different places to get new info on new cars. This is a form of searching that predicts what people are looking for based on what previous people clicked on after searching the same phrase.  Apparently, according to google.com, most people looking for new cars are in fact looking for information on new cars more than actually looking for new cars. This is one form of Smart Search. Recording and tracking people's search results and preferences on results can help in advertising. Car companies know not to waste money on paid search results and google can charge more to car information suppliers because they can prove that users are looking for those sites over actual car buying sites.