New Media Age
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Mini puts digital at heart of Roadster campaign

Mon, 16 Apr 2012

Majority of Mini campaign to be driven by digital.

Autotrader trials Google’s social ad extensions for PPC campaigns

Fri, 16 Mar 2012

Brand is seeing higher click-throughs on ads that have social extensions

Q&A: Martin Moll, marketing director, Honda

Mon, 5 Mar 2012

Honda is putting data at the heart of its digital strategy.

Display advertising has latent brand effect for auto campaigns

Wed, 22 Feb 2012

Ads raise awareness early in the customer journey rather than generate click throughs.

Zeebox launches click-to-buy TV ad service

Thu, 9 Feb 2012

Dual-screen social TV start-up Zeebox has launched a click-to-buy service designed to let viewers buy products directly from TV ads.

Opinion: No one can afford to rest on their laurels when it comes to mobile in 2012

Thu, 19 Jan 2012

Alex Hoye, CEO, Latitude Digital Marketing

Opinion: Search will never be the same again

Wed, 11 Jan 2012

Chris Camacho, Starcom Mediavest’s head of paid search, talks about Your World, Google’s newest move into personalisation of search.

Alfa Romeo Facebook stunt attracts over Facebook 300,000 views

Tue, 10 Jan 2012

Alfa Romeo’s Facebook campaign for its MiTo range, has attracted over 300,000 video views.

Autoglass crowdsources new TV ad star from Facebook

Wed, 4 Jan 2012

Autoglass has launched a TV ad campaign following a competition on Facebook to find a customer to star in its new campaign.

Mercedes-Benz promotes Smart Car personalisation with app for new Facebook Timeline

Fri, 16 Dec 2011

Mercedez-Benz-owned Smart has launched an app to help people create personalised images for Facebook’s timeline pages, which rolled out globally yesterday.

Mercedes helps reassert the importance of the campaign site

Tue, 22 Nov 2011

The use of campaign sites has diminished due to the increase of social media and the idea that communication should be ongoing, but sometimes a Facebook app just won’t cut it.

Video ad exchange SpotXchange appoints C4’s Callaghan

Wed, 16 Nov 2011

Video marketplace SpotXchange has appointed Channel 4’s Nick Callaghan as director of sales in a bid to capitalise on the growth of short-form video inventory and increasing demand for exchange-led video buying.

Mercedes-Benz aims at a younger audience with integrated ad campaign

Fri, 11 Nov 2011

Mercedes-Benz will kick off an integrated ad campaign during The X Factor on Saturday as it aims to attract younger consumers and show a “new side” to the car brand.

Avis looks to social media to bolster European footprint

Mon, 24 Oct 2011

Car rental firm Avis has launched a pan-European Facebook campaign, Avis ArtCar, as it looks to focus on long-term engagement via social media to set itself apart from its competitors.

Brands welcome Google Premium Analytics

Fri, 14 Oct 2011

Brands including Eurostar, Lovehoney and Thomas Pink have welcomed Google’s Premium Analytics launch, saying it has the potential to help marketers better understand attribution.

Auto Trader launches crowdsourcing platform

Mon, 3 Oct 2011

Auto Trader has launched an innovation programme for its community of car dealers, centred on a crowdsourcing platform.

Hyundai aims for emotional engagement with interactive i40 campaign

Tue, 20 Sep 2011

Hyundai has launched what it claims to be its biggest ever integrated campaign to support the launch of its i40 Tourer model in a bid to change perceptions of the brand.

Microsoft Advertising adds Motors.co.uk to portfolio

Fri, 19 Aug 2011

Microsoft Advertising is integrating car comparison site Motors.co.uk into its targeted network MSN+ as part of its push to boost online reach through key publisher partnerships.

MINI ramps up email marketing push for 10th anniversary campaign

Thu, 4 Aug 2011

MINI is celebrating its 10th anniversary with an integrated CRM campaign, Mini Lunatics, as it looks develop its email communications channel into more of an engagment platform.

Autoglass launches Facebook commerce app

Wed, 20 Jul 2011

Autoglass has launched a Facebook store to make booking car glass repairs more convenient for its customers.

Seat UK in social media and exclusive music content push

Fri, 15 Jul 2011

Seat UK is making its first major foray into social media with the launch of a cross-platform campaign to promote its music content tie-up with Universal Music.

Hertz expands mobile app strategy

Tue, 28 Jun 2011

Car hire firm Hertz has launched three mobile apps for Android, Symbian and BlackBerry phones in a bid to drive down customer-care costs.

Ebay sells one car every five minutes via mobile services

16 June 2011

Ebay has revealed that it sells one car every five minutes via mobile, and processes one transaction a second globally via its mobile services.

Motor industry needs to catch up with others' use of e-marketing

26 May 2011

Chris Green, co-founder and sales director, Motoring.co.uk

Peugeot launches space-flight competition for 3008 Crossover

Wed, 18 May 2011

Peugeot has launched a competition using Facebook and Twitter to win a flight into space, to encourage test drives of its 3008 Crossover model.

Hyundai plans biggest online activity yet for car launch

Tue, 10 May 2011

Hyundai will launch its biggest ever online-only launch campaign this year for its Veloster coupé model.

Tesco Cars

5 May 2011

Owner: Carsite, trading as Tesco Cars Agency: in-house

Auto Trader exceeds traffic forecast for new-car site

Wed, 20 Apr 2011

Auto Trader’s new-car portal has had more than 600,000 unique visitors since it launched in February, exceeding its target of 350,000.

Fiat teams up with Flickr to promote Punto MyLife

Thu, 7 Apr 2011

Fiat has launched a campaign using Yahoo’s photo-sharing site Flickr to promote its Punto model.

Ford runs Focus campaign with Bauer branded-content platform

Fri, 1 Apr 2011

Ford has launched an integrated campaign for its Focus model, tying up with Bauer brands under the publisher’s new commercial initiative, Bauer Access.

Spotify and Visit England provide content for Swiftcover Facebook campaign

Mon, 28 Mar 2011

Swiftcover is launching its most significant social media campaign to date, with Absolute Radio, Spotify, Visit England and KGB Deals as content partners.

Outside Lane

17 March 2011

Owner: Outside Lane Agency: Klein and Klein

Mazda launches first brand-led campaign

Mon, 7 Mar 2011

Mazda has launched its first pan-European integrated campaign for its overall brand.

Vauxhall uses social media to encourage kids to play football

3 March 2011

Vauxhall is placing social media at the heart of its three-year sponsorship of the English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish football teams.

Auto Trader unveils new-car site with regional targeting

Tue, 1 Mar 2011

Auto Trader has launched its first online hub for new cars.

Ford launches first global campaign for Focus

Fri, 25 Feb 2011

Ford is adopting a global approach to its brand messaging with the launch campaign for its new Ford Focus.

Auto Trader signs exclusive Facebook Marketplace deal

17 February 2011

Auto Trader has agreed an exclusive partnership with Facebook to promote cars and dealers to users of the social network on its classified listings Facebook Marketplace.

Toyota runs first iPad campaign for Auris Hybrid

Wed, 9 Feb 2011

Toyota is to run its first iPad campaign to promote its Auris Hybrid model.

Peugeot creates cross-media mystery campaign for Envy range

Mon, 7 Feb 2011

Peugeot is running a cross-platform campaign for the launch of its special edition Envy range as it looks to branded content and social media to boost engagement.

Land Rover launches animated campaign for Freelander 2

Tue, 4 Jan 2011

Land Rover has launched a global integrated campaign to promote its Freelander 2 model.

Car Buyer

9 December 2010

Owner: Dennis Publishing Agency: in-house

Renault launches electric car via iAd

Wed, 1 Dec 2010

Renault is to use Apple’s iAd network to launch its 100% electric car, the Twizy, in what the marque claims is a European first.

Auto Trader adds user reviews to site

Mon, 29 Nov 2010

Auto Trader has upgraded its website to let readers post their own reviews of the vehicles on offer, in a bid to boost engagement with its specialist audience.

Vertical Focus: Automotive

18 November 2010

As people increasingly research car purchases online, automotive brands are striving to engage them in this space in a bid to reverse the poor sales of recent years

Continental Tyres runs video within app ads

Wed, 10 Nov 2010

Continental Tyres has launched its first in-app ad campaign with video to promote its winter tyres range.

Honda rolls out show site for motorcycle launch

Thu, 4 Nov 2010

Honda is rolling out a digital campaign for the launch of its new motorcycle range, which will debut at the interntational EICMA motorcycle show in Milan this week.

Dennis launches car review site CarBuyer

Tue, 2 Nov 2010

Dennis Publishing has launched a car review website called CarBuyer.

Porsche risks alienating its biggest group of social media advocates

Mon, 18 Oct 2010

Porsche is the latest brand to fall foul of the ’do as we say, not as we do’ adage this week, blocking employees’ access to social media at work while investing in building a community online.

Renault Mégane campaign ups Facebook activity

Wed, 13 Oct 2010

Renault is launching the second phase of its Mégane Experiment campaign, including a series of online banner ads and increased activity on its Facebook page.

Toyota launches digital campaign for Auris hybrid

Wed, 6 Oct 2010

Toyota has kicked off a digital campaign to promote the hybrid technology of its Auris model.

Suzuki seeks biggest fan in MTV Music Awards competition

Tue, 7 Sep 2010

Suzuki is searching for Europe’s most dedicated music fan in an online competition as part of its sponsorship of the 2010 MTV European Music Awards in Madrid.

Lexus launches trade-show iPad app

Fri, 27 Aug 2010

Lexus has launched an iPad app that lets users at trade shows request brochures on specific models and book test drives at their nearest dealerships.

Alfa Romeo runs Giulietta video ad on Auto Trader

Wed, 25 Aug 2010

Alfa Romeo has launched a video display campaign with Auto Trader to promote its Giulietta model.

Seat integrates social features into game app

Mon, 9 Aug 2010

Seat has added social media features to its Seat Race app on the Apple App Store in a bid to top 1m downloads and promote its Seat Ibiza ST model.

Lessons to learn from Ford's Facebook car launch

Tue, 27 Jul 2010

Ford has shown a lot of guts by going where no major car company has gone before, launching its new Explorer model only via Facebook.

McLaren hires former Maxim editor-in-chief as first digital head

Fri, 23 Jul 2010

McLaren Marketing, which manages marketing activity for McLaren’s F1 and road-car brands, has appointed former Maxim and Loaded editor-in-chief Derek Harbinson as its first head of digital media.

Toyota turns to consumers to build Auris campaign site

8 July 2010

Toyota is asking consumers to help it develop marketing campaigns earlier, following the launch of a campaign site for its Auris Hybrid model that asked the public to create the brief.

Auto Trader and Microsoft sign exclusive IE8 month-long deal

1 July 2010

Auto Trader has signed an exclusive ad deal with Microsoft to promote a customised version of its IE8 browser.

Chevrolet offers in-game test drives on Microsoft Kinect console

Wed, 23 Jun 2010

Chevrolet will kick-start a digital campaign to promote its new electric vehicle by prompting users to take a virtual test drive on the Microsoft Kinect games console.

Skoda to sponsor Demand Five for a year

Fri, 18 Jun 2010

Five has won a seven-figure, 12-month sponsorship deal with car manufacturer Skoda for its on-demand service Demand Five.

Toyota assigns highest share of marketing spend to online

10 June 2010

Toyota has made its biggest online investment to date with the launch of two branding campaigns, to back the release of its Auris Hybrid model and promote its overall brand.

Peugeot tests social media with RCZ app

3 June 2010

Peugeot has launched a social media-led digital marketing campaign to promote awareness of its RCZ model, in a bid to assess the medium’s effectiveness for engagement.

Chrysler appoints SapientNitro to digital account

Thu, 27 May 2010

Car giant Chrysler has appointed SapientNitro to lead its digital marketing activity for the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram Truck brands.

Hyundai offers World Cup prizes in Facebook campaign

Tue, 18 May 2010

Hyundai has launched two online competitions offering the chance to win a trip to next month’s World Cup as part of its sponsorship of the tournament.

Land Rover appoints Work Club to boost brand engagement

Thu, 29 Apr 2010

Jaguar Land Rover has appointed creative agency Work Club to launch its global digital platform, in a bid to increase consumer engagement with the car brand.

Honda creates hub for buzz around CR-Z hybrid model

22 April 2010

Honda has kicked off an integrated campaign to raise awareness of its CR-Z hybrid car ahead of the model’s launch in June.

Renault electric cars to be available in The Sims 3

Tue, 20 Apr 2010

Renault and Electronic Arts have signed a deal to enable players of The Sims 3 to integrate car marque’s forthcoming range of electric vehicles into the game.

Maserati runs its first mobile campaign for GranCabrio model launch

15 April 2010

Luxury car manufacturer Maserati will this month launch its first mobile ad campaign targeting smartphone users to promote its GranCabrio model.

Mercedes launches integrated campaign to promote E-class cabriolet

Wed, 17 Mar 2010

Mercedes has launched an integrated campaign to promote the technology used in its new E-class cabriolet.

Sharing audience data should be a boon for publishers

Tue, 9 Mar 2010

Online premium publishers are teaming up to share audience data. Could this smart move help revive falling CPM rates?

Nissan runs integrated campaign for new Qashqai model

Fri, 5 Mar 2010

Nissan has unveiled the latest extension to its Urbanproof saga advertising theme with an integrated campaign for the Qashqai.

Volvo seeks consumer input for final part of S60 campaign

Thu, 4 Mar 2010

Volvo has launched an online campaign for its S60 model which asks for users’ input in developing the final part of the campaign.

Bauer car sites and FT.com to share audience data

Tue, 2 Mar 2010

FT.com has partnered with Bauer Media-owned sites Parker’s and Carmagazine.co.uk to share audience data and deliver targeted ads to car buyers.

Fiat first brand to use new Facebook ad format

Thu, 18 Feb 2010

Fiat is the first brand in the UK to use a new Facebook ad format that captures consumer data.

Nissan launches ski app ahead of Winter Olympics

Tue, 9 Feb 2010

Nissan Europe has launched an iPhone app to create a virtual community for skiers and snowboarders ahead of this month’s Winter Olympics.

Toyota moves to reassure customers through YouTube

Tue, 2 Feb 2010

Toyota is using YouTube to deliver a message by Jim Lentz, president of US marketing, to reassure customers over concerns surrounding the safety of its cars.

Lexus creates application to explain hybrid car technology

17 December 2009

Lexus has created a pan-European campaign to launch its high-end hybrid RX 450h model.

Audi to launch PlayStation download game

Thu, 10 Dec 2009

Audi has signed up to be the first automotive brand to use the PlayStation Home social gaming portal to test concept cars.

BMW calls agencies pitch

Thu, 3 Dec 2009

BMW is reviewing its UK digital and direct marketing and advertising agency requirements.

MediaVest wins consolidated hire car accounts

Wed, 18 Nov 2009

MediaVest has won the consolidated paid search account for The National and Alamo hire car account.

Site review: Auto Trader

12 November 2009

Tim Dunn, head of marketing services, MIG

Auto Trader to combine media buying under single agency

29 October 2009

Auto Trader has launched a pitch for its £10m consolidated media planning/buying account as it looks to integrate its online and offline media for the first time.

Mercedes spends half UK marketing budget on digital

1 October 2009

Mercedes-Benz is allocating 50% of its UK marketing budget to digital media, according to VP for brand communications Anders Sundt Jensen.

Auto Trader increases social media presence

24 September 2009

Auto Trader has expanded its social media presence, setting up on YouTube and Twitter to create greater rapport with consumers.

Vauxhall previews new Astra model exclusively online

17 September 2009

Vauxhall has unveiled its first ever entirely online ad campaign for the launch of its new Astra model.

Hyundai boosts online display ahead of model launch

Fri, 4 Sep 2009

Car manufacturer Hyundai has launched an online display campaign to raise brand awareness ahead of a major online push for the iX35 model next spring.

Auto industry buys into InSkin ad formats

Tue, 1 Sep 2009

Five leading car brands have each struck ad deals with InSkin Media.

Ad networks: Automotive data

20 August 2009

As car manufacturers see their market shrink in the recession, making sure they reach those customers who are looking to buy becomes more crucial. Ad networks allow brands to identify these users and reach them wherever they are online

Luis Cilimingras, Fiat

20 August 2009

Fiat’s Ecodrive system is set to transform the manufacturer’s relationship with customers, says head of digital strategy Luis Cilimingras

Hyundai dips a toe into social media for i30 campaign

6 August 2009

Car manufacturer Hyundai has launched a campaign inviting users to mix a music track from a selection of sounds made by its i30 model.

Lexus launches digital campaign for IS convertible

Fri, 17 Jul 2009

Car manufacturer Lexus has launched a digital campaign to promote its IS 250C convertible model.

Mercedes-Benz UK starts community for Smart car fans

2 July 2009

Mercedes-Benz UK has launched a community site for its Smart car brand in an attempt to tap into its passionate online fan base.

28 UK entries shortlisted for Cannes Cyber Lions

Tue, 23 Jun 2009

AKQA, BBH and The Viral Factory have had multiple entries shortlisted in this year’s Cannes Cyber Lions, with the UK represented 28 times on the shortlists.

What Car? gets publisher's biggest digital investment to relaunch site

11 June 2009

Car buying guide What Car? has relaunched its site to create a more streamlined and relevant experience for users and advertisers.

Kia sees online dealer enquiries double following site relaunch

28 May 2009

Kia, the South Korean car maker, has seen dealer enquiries double on its website to 60,000 a month following its relaunch in March.

easyCar starts up mobile site to reach car hires while on holiday

7 May 2009

EasyCar has launched its first mobile site as it looks to capitalise on holidaymakers renting cars overseas.

Jonny Freeman, Honda

7 May 2009

Honda’s head of digital marketing discusses the car manufacturer’s growing interest, and spend, in digital and social media

BMW uses online 3D technology artwork to drive Z4 Roadster

16 April 2009

BMW has kicked off an online campaign to promote its Z4 Roadster, enabling users to create their own artwork using 3D technology.

Stephen Norman, Renault

16 April 2009

Despite admitting to a slow start in the world of digital, Renault’s Stephen Norman is adamant that the car manufacturer is now well-placed for the future

Plug-ins

9 April 2009

Major brands Fiat and Nike have been grasping the opportunity of plug-ins as part of long-term branding exercises. Will consumers buy into them or are they just another gimmick?

Mazda employs online teaser to push new model

12 March 2009

Mazda is to launch a pan-European online teaser campaign in a bid to connect consumers with the processes behind the development of the Mazda3.

Internet is main influence in consumer car purchases

Wed, 11 Mar 2009

The internet is the main influence which determines a consumer’s car purchase as the majority believe they’ll locate a better deal online, according to research from Microsoft.

BBC unveils Formula 1 digital strategy

Wed, 25 Feb 2009

The BBC has detailed its interactive coverage of the new Formula 1 season, which kicks off on 28 March.

Kia Motors doubles digital spend to boost position in UK market

12 February 2009

International car brand hopes increasing its digital marketing budget will generate more customer interaction after sale

Analyst Speak: Car sites should make cheap and easy refinements to user experience

5 February 2009

Bertie Stevenson, director, Global Reviews

Ford launches consumer portal to push new Ka model

15 January 2009

Ford has extended the campaign for its new Ka model online with a consumer-generated portal.The Go Find It site, currently in its early stages, aims to offer visitors access to a range of content including street art images from Shoreditch and Berlin, images of the car and music tracks to download.The campaign will also include a tie-up with Multimap to enable consumers to add, search and comment on their own geo-tagged events and places in the real world.The campaign ...

Volvo receives 30,000 entries to C30 online competition

18 December 2008

Volvo has reported 30,000 online participants in its cross-media campaign for the Volvo C30 coupé.

Auto Trader in deal with Top Gear site to extend reach

11 December 2008

The BBC's recently relaunched Top Gear website has signed a deal with Auto Trader to list its stock.TopGear.com will host listings of more than 400,000 new and used cars in a deal that aims to extend Auto Trader's reach online.It follows similar partnerships between Auto Trader and MSN, AOL, The Telegraph and Auto Express.Jonathan Williams, director of emarketing at Auto Trader's parent company Trade Media Group, said the move exemplified the company's strategy ...

Audi to sell merchandise online as it expands site

27 November 2008

Audi is to start selling merchandise on its site as part of a plan to make it a single destination for everything to do with owning an Audi.The store is one of a several changes to the site, including an updated car configurator and self-service tools, as Audi makes it more transactional over the next 12 to 18 months.Peter Duffy, head of marketing for Audi UK, said, "It's quite amazing that we sell all this fantastic merchandise but you have to go to a car centre to ...

Mazda launches first affiliate campaign

Mon, 24 Nov 2008

Shell partners with The AA to run first mobile ad campaign

13 November 2008

Shell has launched its first mobile ad trial with motoring site The AA.The petrol and energy company is keen to promote its premium V-Power range of fuel and diesel and has struck a cross-platform deal with the automotive group.It has built a Shell Mobile site which provides visitors with information about the Shell Drivers' Club, V-Power and V-Power Diesel.The campaign follows a raft of mobile ad campaigns from car manufacturers including BMW, Honda, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz ...

Car brands need to tie up online loose ends

23 October 2008

From Rob Denton, MD, Navigator Customer Management

Ford uses behind-the-scenes Bond footage to push Ka

Wed, 22 Oct 2008

Ford uses digital to drive new Fiesta

16 October 2008

Ford has launched its most significant digital campaign to date as the centrepiece of a three-year marketing push for its new-look Fiesta.The automotive giant has launched a pan-European campaign, This Is Now, designed to closely associate the Fiesta with cutting-edge art, design, fashion, film and music.Ford is using cross-platform ads to encourage people to upload images to a Fiesta content portal, either directly or from a Flickr group.The portal also hosts ...

EasyCar appoints LBi Netrank for European push

Fri, 3 Oct 2008

EasyCar.com has appointed SEO specialist LBi Netrank to improve the site's search engine ranking in the UK and across Europe

Ferrari reveals virtual test drive for California model

Wed, 24 Sep 2008

Ferrari has unveiled a site featuring a virtual test drive of its new California model ahead of its public launch at the Paris Motor Show next week

Land Rover reveals digital push for Range Rover Sport

Tue, 19 Aug 2008

Motor show produces podcasts to push sales

14 August 2008

Motor show MPH featuring Top Gear Live has launched a series of podcasts in the run-up to the event.The automotive show, to be held at London's Earls Court and Birmingham's NEC in October and November, will roll out eight video podcasts featuring the Top Gear team in a bid to boost ticket sales.They will be distributed across iTunes, Virgin Radio and MPH websites, and to 66,000 email subscribers.Media agency M2M has planned a digital campaign to ...

Motor Cycle News launches online shop

Thu, 31 Jul 2008

Auto Trader looks to use motor show to boost customer reviews on website

24 July 2008

Auto Trader is to use next week's British International Motor Show to test a number of digital initiatives.It will encourage visitors to the event to create video reviews of car models, to be uploaded as part of its World of Cars marketing campaign.Jonathan Williams, director of ecommerce for Auto Trader, said, "All the content we have on our stand will be digitally oriented. We tried user reviews on our stand two years ago and it's now a feature on the site."Auto ...

Vauxhall drives new model across MSN website

Tue, 22 Jul 2008

General Motors has invested a six-figure sum to promote its new Vauxhall Insignia across the MSN website, to coincide with the car's launch today at the British International Motor Show

Toyota GB reveals new-look site as it plans to boost digital activity

17 July 2008

Toyota GB has unveiled a new-look consumer-facing site as the Japanese automotive giant looks to significantly increase its digital marketing activity in the UK.The content-rich site focuses on the cost of car models and highlights after-sales financial considerations, such as fuel economy.It also includes extended information about the company's environmental policy, plus news of Toyota events around the country, traffic reports and a route planner.The site is ...

Digital leads cross-media campaign for Volvo C30

3 July 2008

Volvo has placed digital at the centre of a major multi-platform initiative as it seeks to target a younger audience for its C30 coupé.The automotive brand aims to target an audience of 10m people when it launches Creative 30, an ambitious campaign harnessing online video and user-generated content to find the UK's creative stars of tomorrow.Creative 30, which rolls out this month, will be a multi-platform push for the C30, and will see print and online budgets more than ...

Fiat unveils mobile site to drive engagement

3 July 2008

Car brand Fiat has launched a mobile site in a bid to engage with new and existing customers.The site, built by AKQA Mobile, allows users to check the location Fiat dealers and click to call them.It also features a range of 'How to' guides. These offer practical motoring advice, such as tips on changing a spare wheel or checking oil levels. Potential customers can also request to be sent a brochure by post.Elena Bernardelli, marketing manager for Fiat UK, said that ...

Renault goes with weather-dependent ad to push cabriolet

26 June 2008

Renault is to launch an online display campaign that changes creative depending on the weather.The campaign, designed by Publicis Modem, shows off the features of the Renault Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet, which has a glass roof and climate control settings.It features a range of display banners linked to BBC Weather RSS feeds and viewers' IP addresses.The banners dynamically change between eight different versions to reflect the local weather conditions and present a ...

Creativity - Ysabel Vazquez, Mini

12 June 2008

Mini sees itself as an innovative brand and, if that means being daring with its online campaigns, that’s fine by communications manager Ysabel Vazquez, learns Nic HowellAs national communications manager for Mini, Ysabel Vazquez is responsible for planning all broadcast messages for the iconic car brand that BMW relaunched in 2001. She has commissioned some of the UK's most highly regarded digital advertising, from the ''Ave a word' video viral created ...

Nissan steps up digital push for Infiniti brand

Wed, 4 Jun 2008

Budget to refit site to ease booking process

22 May 2008

Car rental operator Budget will launch a digital marketing push this summer ahead of an overhaul of its online booking service.Online currently accounts for the bulk of Budget's UK bookings and the company is keen to improve its existing transactional engine to match the demand.The overhaul will follow a series of usability studies and is designed to speed up the booking process for non-business customers.Budget also wants to develop a system that's better tailored ...

Toyota appoints Glue London to agency roster

Wed, 21 May 2008

Ford extends online lifestyle show Bite with user-generated activity

8 May 2008

Ford has extended Bite, its online lifestyle show promoting its Fiesta and Ka brands, in association with Channel 4, to include user-generated content and social networking activity following the success of its first series earlier this year.The car brand has launched dedi-cated channels on Bebo, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube for the show, which features five girls driving their Ford cars around the country identifying the latest lifestyle trends.The social networking ...

Citroën runs mobile ads for C5 promotion

3 April 2008

Citroën has become the first advertiser to take advantage of new mobile advertising channels on O2 and Vodafone as part of the marketing campaign for its C5 model.

National Car Rental launches local campaign on Multimap

20 March 2008

National Car Rental has rolled out an ad campaign on Multimap that's targeted by users' location.The car-hire firm will be running bespoke creative for four weeks, served when Multimap users search for ten UK cities, including London, Manchester, Newcastle and Belfast.Jim Cruickshank, Multimap B2C general manager, said that the deal was part of the company's strategy of working with consumer brands."Media companies are increasingly focusing on campaigns that work ...

Nissan plans digital-focused campaign for launch of Infiniti

13 March 2008

Nissan is launching what it claims is its most digitally focused campaign to date for the launch of its luxury car brand Infiniti across Europe.The soft-launch of the brand at this week's Geneva Motor Show will focus on digital buzz marketing in a bid to create online excitement about the full launch later this year.Infiniti marketing communications manager Andreas Sigl told NMA that apart from a "limited amount" of outdoor advertising and a promotional ...

Auto Trader to add video to its online news section and mapping tool to locate sellers

21 February 2008

Auto Trader has added a video service and mapping tool to its website as part of a continued push to enhance its multi-channel services.The video service enables Auto Trader to embed videos within news stories in the editorial section of the website. It goes live next month.The car buyers' guide also plans to launch a video player 'hub' that will collect all the Auto Trader videos for browsing. There are also plans to add video user reviews from motorists about their cars.The ...

Mobile campaign ups brand awareness for Twingo

Wed, 20 Feb 2008

Land Rover reveals social network plan as part of 2008 digital strategy

7 February 2008

Land Rover has revealed digital plans for the Freelander 2 and Range Rover in 2008, including concepts for a Range Rover social network.The Ford-owned company is in discussions with its agencies Mindshare and Wunderman as to how it can work with social networks, but is reticent to develop applications or branded pages.However, Steve Bowler, Land Rover's marketing manager, said the company is considering ideas for the Range Rover brand."You have to think about how ...

Car sites need to keep up with buyers' drivers

31 January 2008

It’s accepted that over 80% of people research car purchases online.

Draftfcb picks up UK creative work for Chevrolet

Thu, 24 Jan 2008

General Motors car brand Chevrolet has chosen Draftfcb London to be its digital, direct marketing and direct response agency in the UK

Fiat launches host of online activity for new 500

Mon, 21 Jan 2008

Fiat has launched a host of online activity to promote the Fiat 500 in the UK

Honda rolls out online jigsaw

Tue, 15 Jan 2008

Honda has rolled out a campaign site to encourage users to build an online jigsaw

Ford rolls out humorous digital ads to push in-car Bluetooth

10 January 2008

Silver Films to create content for Lexus site

10 January 2008

CrossCountry Trains reveals plan to put mobile at centre of strategy

13 December 2007

Land Rover rolls out global digital repositioning for new Range Rover

15 November 2007

BMW plans to swap iTV for online video

8 November 2007

BMW is in early talks with internet TV service Joost to launch a channel on the platform.The talks are part of a move by the car manufacturer to distribute content on the internet - specifically video of its car models, with the hope that it will go viral.The content will be distributed via the BMW website and through Joost if the talks are successful.Richard Hudson, general manager of communications at BMW, told NMA the move towards online was due to a shift away ...

Land Rover to advertise on global Nokia platform

Thu, 25 Oct 2007

Nokia Ad Business has signed Land Rover as an advertiser on its global mobile platform

Audi rolls out branding site to highlight the quality of its cars

25 October 2007

Ford and Dennis join forces to push S-Max model via e-mags

11 October 2007

Honda to test drive custom banners for latest car range

4 October 2007

Renault puts entire ad budget for Scenic Conquest online

27 September 2007

Department for Transport gets kids thinking about road safety

13 September 2007

Edpic develops car quiz for Confident Cover

Tue, 11 Sep 2007

Digital agency Edpic has developed a car quiz game for Confident Cover, a car insurance price comparison website dedicated to the over-50s

Nissan DAL offers a smooth ride to a pleasing destination

23 August 2007

The campaigns up for review included car manufacturers, a bank and a games console. I could palm off the Nintendo review to my 13-year-old son

Land Rover tackles online audience in run-up to 2007 Rugby World Cup

16 August 2007

Land Rover overhauls format and content of e-newsletters

9 August 2007

Ford launches first mobile campaign site

2 August 2007

Top Gear and Turtle Wax launch dirtiest car contest

Thu, 19 Jul 2007

Top Gear magazine and car cleaning equipment manufacturer Turtle Wax have jointly launched an online marketing initiative to find Britain's dirtiest car

Mini rolls out ads for second-hand cars

19 July 2007

Harrison Troughton Wunderman to merge with Wunderman Automotive

Mon, 9 Jul 2007

John Butler, chief executive of Harrison Troughton Wunderman, looks set to leave the agency, following the announcement that the WPP agency is to merge with Wunderman Automotive

Ford's internet video project fails to draw in an audience

5 July 2007

Yahoo! Cars uses Motors.co.uk database

5 July 2007

Jeep takes the online community off the beaten track

28 June 2007

Hyundai to extend mobile marketing in the US

Wed, 20 Jun 2007

Hyundai plans to extend its US mobile marketing following a successful campaign for its Elantra model

Over 85% of car buyers do their research online

14 June 2007

Over one in eight (85%) of car buyers visit manufacturers' websites before making a purchase, according to customer experience benchmarking firm Global Reviews. Nearly the same amount (80%) use the internet to compare cars from various manufacturers, while 20% go online again just before making their final decision.globalreviews.co.uk

Vauxhall runs driving contest online

24 May 2007

Vauxhall has launched a major digital push including a campaign to find the VXR Racing Driver of the Year.The winner of the competition, coined 'the Pop Idol of the racetrack', will be trained by Vauxhall professionals and compete in the six races of the Dunlop Sport Maxx 2008. The contest will be conducted through a campaign site, vxrdriver.co.uk.Interest in the competition will be generated through emails and online ads, as well as flyers and a print campaign in The ...

Lexus revamps site for 'quality' image

24 May 2007

Ford pushes 'Feel' branding online

17 May 2007

Toyota to run Avensis campaign on Cricinfo

17 May 2007

Car-sharing site launches to cut carbon emissions

3 May 2007

Toyota launches rich-media-based 'aspirational' site

3 May 2007

Toyota has launched a revamped central European website.The site aims to be more of an 'aspirational experience', using rich-media, such as bespoke video clips, to showcase the company's cars, including the new Auris range, and the lifestyle surrounding them.Toyota-europe.com - which has been designed by a partnership between Toyota's in-house web team and digital marketing agency Amaze Digital - also prominently includes an innovation section, where new developments, such ...

Honda uses virtual car dealer in targeted email campaign

19 April 2007

De-construct wins outdoor work for Toyota concept store

12 April 2007

Toyota has appointed digital agency de-construct to handle outdoor advertising for its global concept store.The agency will develop multimedia installations, interactive kiosks and integrated activity for the Toyota store in Paris on the Champs Elysees.“France is very forward-thinking with its outdoor work, especially on the Champs Elysees, where Toyota is up with several other car brand concept stores, so its very competitive,” said de-construct business development ...

Swiftcover to offer quotes from within ad copy

Thu, 5 Apr 2007

Swiftcover.com, the motor insurance specialist, has become one of the first brands to let users get instant insurance quotes by entering details within the ad copy

Peugeot uses full-screen video to push 207 to female drivers

5 April 2007

Peugeot has launched a new campaign using full-screen video footage to promote its new Peugeot 207 CC model specifically to a female audience.Euro RSCG 4D Digital, the digital arm of the EHS Brann Group, has created the campaign, which incorporates footage filmed for the site."This is the first time we have full-screen, personalised video to promote one of our cars, and we believe our target female audience will enjoy the virtual shopping trip," said Alison Stewart, Peugeot ...

Car magazine to offer Formula One podcasts

29 March 2007

Autosport magazine is to launch a series of podcasts as part of its coverage of the 2007 Formula One season. The 30-minute podcasts will be sponsored by Panasonic and include comment and debate by Formula One analysts and experts. They will be produced by USP Content and made available on Autosport's website and iTunes.uspcontent.comautosport.com

Parkers site looks for brand partners

29 March 2007

Citroën engages all the right drivers with Picasso C4 ad

8 March 2007

As a non-petrol-head, car ads are much of a muchness to me.

Moonshine wins Vauxhall as first client

8 March 2007

Porsche allocates one-fifth of marketing spend to online ads

15 February 2007

Auto Trader ups online spend to £5m to boost partnerships

8 February 2007

Kia uses online to shift focus from price to product strengths

1 February 2007

Microsoft teams with Ford for dashboard system

11 January 2007

Microsoft and Ford have announced the Sync system, which links dashboard entertainment systems with mobile phones and music players. A built-in web connection can also pick up internet broadcasts, while a voice-playback system can read out inbound text messages to the driver. Ford said that the first cars to use the new system would be in production for a 2008 roll-out.microsoft.comford.com

AutoTrader signs three year deal with MoneyExpert.com

Tue, 9 Jan 2007

UK motoring website AutoTrader has signed a three year deal with financial advice site MoneyExpert.com to provide personal finance comparison content to AutoTrader.co.uk

Toyota launches social networking site in the US

Fri, 5 Jan 2007

Car brand Toyota has launched a social networking service in the US aimed at the 600,000 drivers of its hybrid models

MSN to host Experian's AutoCheck service

Wed, 20 Dec 2006

MSN has announced that it will be hosting credit report company Experian's AutoCheck service on MSN Cars, the company's online motoring channel

Auto Trader appoints pop London to develop new site

Wed, 29 Nov 2006

Auto Trader has appointed digital agency pop London to develop its campaign site drivethedebate.co.uk

VW signs up brands in cricket tournament sponsorship deals

2 November 2006

Seat UK looks to move 20% of marketing budget onto digital

19 October 2006

General Motors is first to use MPU format on Auto Trader site

19 October 2006

Mazda uses six figure online campaign for MX-5

Mon, 16 Oct 2006

Mazda is launching a new six figure online campaign to promote the MX-5 Roadster Coupe

DaimlerChrysler turns to the web to stream banned TV ads

5 October 2006

Auto Trader puts UGC at centre of first site revamp in five years

21 September 2006

Network Q offers advice via podcast

24 August 2006

Peugeot boosts digital strategy with dealers turning to mobile

10 August 2006

Jaguar XKR launch begins solely on web and mobile

3 August 2006

Auto Trader extends search deal with MSN

27 July 2006

BP Castrol appoints Bigmouthmedia to run new search account in the US

20 July 2006

Jaguar becomes one of first brands to run ads across Orange World

20 July 2006

Offline and digital given equal weight in Peugeot 207 push

13 July 2006

Land Rover turns to video and 3D to push Freelander 2 model

29 June 2006

Ford takes branded content route to build S-Max image

22 June 2006

Fiat promotes new Sedici model via spoof viral ad

8 June 2006

Car manufacturer Fiat is launching a heavyweight online marketing campaign based around a spoof of 'crocodile hunter' Steve Irwin to promote its new 4x4 model.

Skoda credits sales rise to PDA-based data-capture tool

1 June 2006

Car importer Skoda UK has been using a new form of PDA-based sales-lead technology that it claims is partly responsible for a 31.7% increase in sales of its Octavia model.

Honda launches own channel on HomeChoice

Thu, 25 May 2006

Motor manufacturer Honda has launched a video-on-demand channel on the HomeChoice IPTV platform that allows consumers to interact with a dealership live on TV

Dunlop uses video ads to drive traffic to Race Academy site

25 May 2006

Dunlop, the tyre specialist, is using a campaign site from Carlson Marketing as the promotional focus for its 2006 Race Academy campaign.

Emap appoints Engine to redesign Parkers car site

18 May 2006

Emap has appointed interactive agency Engine Creative to redesign car Web site Parkers. Engine will be creating a 'MyParkers' section for the site that will include a number of personalisation options as well as involving the user more with an increased focus on user-generated content such as reviews. enginecreative.co.uk parkers.co.uk

Sky one of first brands to sign up to trials of MSN's AdCenter

18 May 2006

Sky is to be one of the first advertisers involved in the UK trials of MSN AdCenter, having been selected from a list of clients submitted by its associated interactive agency i-level.

British Motor Show returns to London

4 May 2006

The British International Motor Show has launched a comprehensive online campaign as it returns to London after 30 years in Birmingham.

Piaggio uses viral ad to mark Vespa anniversary

27 April 2006

Italian scooter company Piaggio has launched a viral marketing campaign to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its Vespa brand

Volkswagen offers personalised Beetle

27 April 2006

Car manufacturer Volkswagen is launching a digital marketing campaign that allows consumers to create their own personalised Beetle online.

Fiat adopts Breeze's Bluetooth technology

20 April 2006

Car manufacturer Fiat is the first company to sign up to mobile marketing company Breeze Tech's opt-in Bluetooth technology to promote its range of cars

Land Rover rolls out 24-hour broadband TV lifestyle channel

13 April 2006

Chrysler gives Web pivotal role in UK launch of Dodge models

23 March 2006

DaimlerChrysler is using the Web to launch its range of Dodge automotive brands in the UK as part of a massive £7m nationwide marketing drive.

Honda's head of Internet joins Tribal DDB to work on VW

23 March 2006

Interactive agency Tribal DDB has hired Honda's head of Internet John Goodbody as the account director for its largest account, German car manufacturer Volkswagen.

Honda to sponsor new blog network

Fri, 10 Mar 2006

Honda is the first major advertiser to sponsor a new blog network that will allow consumers to create content and share their views about its range of brands

Hypertag announces international campaigns

2 March 2006

Fiat uses Google Earth in car competition

Mon, 20 Feb 2006

Fiat has become the first automotive company to run a competition using innovative mapping technology Google Earth

Volkswagen picks high-traffic sites for Jetta promotion

16 February 2006

Car manufacturers sign up to Code's online ad design system

9 February 2006

Mercedes Benz prepares new digital ad

9 February 2006

Mercedes Benz UK is poised to launch its first digital campaign since it appointed Agency Republic to produce its creative work.

Volvo launches extranet to improve agency dialogue

9 February 2006

Car manufacturer Volvo has launched an online asset management platform that it claims will revolutionise its global marketing strategy.

Skoda uses digital campaign to push Octavia VRS model

2 February 2006

Player X confirms Flytxt founder becomes COO

26 January 2006

Mobile content company Player X has officially announced the appointment of Flytxt co-founder Lars Becker as chief operating officer. Becker will drive Player X's mobile video business and integrate the company's operations in Europe, Asia and the US. playerx.com

Fiat rolls out online campaign to push Grande Punto

Wed, 25 Jan 2006

Car manufacturer Fiat is rolling out an online campaign as part of an extensive £2m cross-media push to promote the launch of its new Grande Punto