Volkswagen releases "talking" ad in TOI
21 Sep 2010
Readers of The Times of India were up for a jolt this morning, shaken up from the slumber of a slow morning courtesy a marketing initiative between car manufacturer Volkswagen and the English daily.
A special feature launched by TOI, which when opened, "spoke" to unsuspecting readers about Volkswagen's sedan Vento, caught the readers unaware, who went about looking for the source of the voice.
For this one-of-a kind marketing initiative, the paper had pasted a light-sensitive microchip within a black speaker box about 2.5 inches x 1.5 inches, playing a pre-recorded message about Volkswagen's Vento as soon as the paper was spread open.
A similar ad with the "speaking" device was also featured in The Hindu.
The carmaker had launched Vento, priced between Rs6.99 lakh and Rs9.23 lakh, in August this year. (See: Volkswagen launches the Vento)
The campaign is sure to gain mileage points for Volkswagen, as the initiative will be hard to ignore for readers.
