Autoblog

In terms of sheer size, Russia is the largest country in the world. That must have something to do with this gargantuan advertisement found in Russia... According to the caption, the surface area measures more than 1.5 acres (billboard haters should stop complaining right about now, as it appears we have it pretty good over here).

More interesting than the sheer massiveness of the super-colossal ad are the full-sized BMWs, lights ablaze, mounted sideways as if zooming across the surface. Those aren't base model Bimmers, either -- sharp eyed readers will recognize them as the Z4 M Coupe, M3, M5, and M6. Now, that is what we call an advertising budget! Thanks for the tip, Hank!

[Source: English Russia]

It's helpful if you like The Ataris. Hyundai is hoping to lure internet users with a banner ad that no doubt touts the free song. When clicked, the banner initiates a download, plays the song, and also pops up a 20-second commercial featuring the Elantra. You could also opt for the cellphone ringtone if you like the way music sounds over a 1/3" transducer. A second set of banners is going live as well, these to collect contact information on potential customers willingly fill out the form. A song by Secondhand Serenade is the prize for providing a free sales lead to the dealer organization.

Hyundai is angling to snag more of the 18-49 year old age group by running the banners at popular music sites like Pandora, Billboard, and Real Networks. Hey, a focused advertising effort is already better than the wide-net thing we all have to sit through on TV.

[Source: Brandweek]

click on above image for link to more pics of blurry Mustang billboards by Ian Hart

These Mustang billboards have popped up on the internet today thanks to a few advertising-related blogs that just don't get their point. The billboards are constructed from a semi-transparent resin that magically blur the scene behind them regardless of the weather. If you don't get it by now, they're supposed to give onlookers the sense of speed they would feel were they bombing down the road in a Mustang instead of their own daily driver. It's cute, but ad experts are blasting it pretty hard because of the tiny Mustang logo that appears in the lower right corner of each billboard. The logo is too small to notice at first glance, which pretty much means the billboard fails as an actual advertisement for the Mustang brand. The technology used to make the billboard, however, still has applications. For instance, take the slowest car you own and cover the windows in this semi-transparent resin. Bam, now no matter how slow you're going, it always looks fast from the inside.

Thanks for the tip, jcklope!

[Source: Adpunch]

BMW's MINI brand has never had a big advertising budget, but everyone would agree it's ad agency knows how to stretch a dollar. The latest promotion from MINI is a program called Motorby that takes interactivity at 60 mph to new heights. According to MotoringFile.com, a large MINI enthusiast/news site, select MINI owners were recently email an invitation to join the Motorby campaign, whereby they give MINI some scraps of info about themselves and are then sent a special key fob in the mail. Special billboards called Motorboards have been set up in cities like Chicago, New York, Miami and San Francisco, and when one of these MINI owners drives by the billboard will light up with a personal message like "Looking good today, Scooter," and "David, your hair looks great today". It's a very creative campaign, and if successful (and no one causes an accident by trying to read their message at speed), the brand may roll out the program to all MINI owners.

We have to assume that MINI has people on the back end screening the info that each owner provides, but we'd give our right foot for a pic of a Motorboard that says, "Did you read Autoblog.com today, Joe?" Come on, there has to be a few people at MINI who would let that slide, right?

[Source: Motoring File]

Remember those asinine SMART billboards that read, "German engineering. Swiss styling. American Nothing." in South Africa? Finally DaimlerChrysler saw them for the PR nightmare that they were and banished them to the bottom of a deep garbage pit.

Says Chrysler communications chief Jason Vines, "the local agency explained that it meant no harm and that 'American nothing" related to the smallness of the car." Riiigggghhhhhtt. Is that the best they could came up with after hours of nervous laughter and firing the intern? We can at least give Vines and his team credit for having their fellow Americans' backs -- Vines also explained that his team worked with the PR chief responsible over on the other side of the pond, and the billboards were as good as gone.

[Source: DaimlerChrysler]