Tag: Hyundai i30

IAA Walk of Innovations – 2013

The 65th Internationale Automobil Ausstellung (IAA) has been running in Frankfurt am Main for the past two weeks. So on Saturday I decided to go for the motor show to catch up on the latest cars and also see first hand the much anticipated Nissan Nismo Watch.

Most of the car makers in this year’s show were also present in IAA 2011. In fact they were even located in the same stands as 2011, with the same high tech touch displays to promote their cars. The only difference was that their 2013 car models were now more hybrid and or electric only e.g. this new four seater Smart…

But while I walked around and looked for changes vis-à-vis what was shown in IAA 2011, I noticed that apart from the now expected large screens and touch displays, car makers were using all kinds of social media to engage with their visitors.

Here is a quick photo report of my engagement experiences with the various car makers…

Audi

To make sure I did not miss Audi this year due to 200+ people standing in line to get into the Audi Stand, I decided to visit the stand very early in morning. The line to get into the stand was short, but there were already hundreds of people inside. On walking in, I noticed that the concept for the stand was taken straight out of the Hollywood movie “Upside Down“…

Visitor engagement at the stand was done through a special photo booth. While people waited in the line they got an iPad to play a game and answer three questions about Audi. Winners got special custom giveaways like keychains, gummy bears etc. After which visitors were assured into the photo booth which superimposed the photos onto custom Audi backgrounds. Visitors could take home a printed copy of the photos and later also download soft copies from www.audiphotoautomat.com.

Mercedes

Next stop was the Mercedes stand which was also impossible to get into in 2011. From the below picture you can see why…

Mercedes put up a huge multi-sensory show that went on for over 20 minute, while thousands of people just stopped and watched. Children visiting the stand were kept busy with car simulators…

Outside the stand one could test drive the Mercedes off road jeeps with the help of trained drivers…

Hyundai

Hyundai was the first car brand I came across that was using the event to generate Facebook fans. For liking the Hyundai Facebook page, fans at IAA could win a Hyundai i30…

The rear windscreen of the i30 was converted into a touchscreen which people could use to instantly “Like” the brand’s Facebook page or choose to receive the Fan Page link via email…

At the stand Hyundai also displayed a unique touchable music seat for hearing impaired drivers which vibrated as per the music being played. This is still in concept phase and the test seats are currently being developed out of Korea…

Volkswagen

The Volkswagen “Think Blue” initiative was presented via an interactive augmented reality layer that was activated through the provided iPads…

Skoda

Skoda explained their Green Line initiative via a wooden toy car that was supported by the animations in the embedded touch screens…

At the neighbouring table kids were engaged with games around the Green Line initiative…

Michelin

At the Michelin stand, visitor could take pictures with a virtual Michelin mascot and have the pictures emailed to themselves instantly…

Nissan

After having written about the Nissan Nismo Watch last week, I could not wait to see the real watch in action. But to my disappointment the watch was not there as announced. There was only a boring plastic dummy on display…

But I did take Nissans version of real life “Likes” for a spin (first spotted at the Renault stand in the 2011 Amsterdam Motor Show)…

The RFID badges allowed visitors to post custom Nissan branded pictures of themselves onto Facebook…

Visitors were also given the option to share the cars they like on Facebook via special Like buttons built into the car info pillars…

Ford

At the Ford stand this year visitors were given head and shoulder massages…

Then to experience the Ford EcoBoost, visitors were put in front of a leaf blower and there reactions caputred and uploaded on the Ford Flickr Channel.

And for the more social visitors, Ford had a nice twitter based contest running…

Kia

At Kia, visitors could superimpose their heads onto a football player and then have the custom postercard sent to their email id’s…

Chevrolet

Visitors at the stand could make small flipbooks of themselves doing funny dances in front of the main charachter of the Hollywood film “Turbo“…

Or they could write special messages to their loved ones on a piece of paper and the team at Chevrolet would instantly convert them into wearable badges…

Chevrolet was also the only car maker at the IAA who was using Foursquare to offer discounts on their show merchandise…

Mini

Mini this year gave visitors the option to body paint their cars and email the photos to themselves…

Visitors could also slide down a specially created tunnel at record speeds that were also photographed and displayed on a large overhead digital screen…

BMW

BMW like Mercedes also put up on a multi-sensory show at their stand. But compared to Mercedes it was short and not as extravagant. But it was still pretty impressive…

Kumho Tyres

Then on the way out I spotted Kumho Tyres giving away various petrol and tyre related coupons. To win the coupons visitors had to catch them while being closed inside a wind cabin…

And that was a quick overview on what I experienced at the 65th Internationale Automobil Ausstellung. (To read about my experience at the 2011 show, click here.)

Until the next show in 2 years. This is Sunil Bahl signing off from IAA 2013. 😎

Hyundai i30: Light Drive Test Drive Game

To launch the new generation i30 in South Africa, Hyundai reinvented the test drive with the Hyundai i30 Light Drive. It is a virtual racing game projected onto the i30’s front windscreen, played from inside the car.

Instead of waiting for people to visit a dealership, Hyundai took the experience to South Africa’s hottest nightspots in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Anyone, at any time, could step in, experience the car’s slick dynamic features, and compete for the top spot on the leader board.

A test drive that behaves like entertainment

The mechanism is smart because the “drive” is no longer a polite sales ritual. It is a game with stakes, progress, and a score. Two-man teams work together on the track to collect icons. Each icon represents an i30 specification, and collecting them powers up the car and boosts the team’s score.

That turns feature education into gameplay. Specs are not listed. They are earned. The i30’s story is embedded in the rules of the experience.

In experiential automotive launches, product education lands best when features are translated into gameplay mechanics that people can learn by doing.

Why it lands in a nightlife setting

Nightspots are where people are already in a social, competitive mood. A leader board gives instant status. A queue becomes part of the atmosphere rather than a frustration, because everyone can watch and anticipate their turn.

Hyundai amplified that social energy with HD cameras streaming the live test drive to a large screen outside the car. The crowd can watch the teams compete in real time, which makes the experience feel bigger than the physical footprint of the vehicle.

Facebook Connect turns players into publishers

Hyundai linked the i30 Light Drive to Facebook Connect, turning participation into a shareable identity moment. Photos of the teams are posted instantly onto their timelines, extending the experience beyond the venue and turning “I played” into “I was seen playing”.

Even the waiting time is engineered. People queuing to play are educated and entertained with a touch screen brochure on the i30’s rear windscreen. It is product information, but delivered in an interactive format that matches the energy of the activation.

The intent: make the i30 feel modern before anyone compares price

The business intent is clear. Hyundai wants the i30 to feel like the next generation. Not just in features, but in attitude. By turning a test drive into an interactive spectacle, the brand signals innovation, tech confidence, and social relevance. The car becomes an event.

What to steal from Hyundai i30 Light Drive

  • Move the experience to the audience. Take the product out of the showroom and into high-traffic social contexts.
  • Teach through interaction. Turn product features into game mechanics so learning is part of play.
  • Design for spectators. Live screens and streaming make the activation bigger than the footprint.
  • Make sharing native. Identity-based posting works best when it is built into the flow, not bolted on later.
  • Use the queue. If people are waiting, give them interactive content that reinforces the product story.

A few fast answers before you act

What is Hyundai i30 Light Drive?

It is an in-car virtual racing game projected onto the i30’s windscreen, designed to turn a test drive into an interactive competition.

How does it communicate the i30’s features?

Teams collect icons on the track that represent i30 specifications. Those icons act as power-ups, so the specs become part of the game’s reward loop.

Why target nightspots instead of dealerships?

Nightlife venues provide a ready-made social crowd. Competition and spectacle fit the context, and the experience spreads through observation and sharing.

What role does live streaming play in the activation?

HD cameras stream the gameplay to a large screen outside, turning players into performers and the crowd into an audience, which increases participation and energy.

What is the key takeaway for experiential launches?

Design an experience that people want to play and watch. When product education is embedded inside a compelling interaction loop, attention follows naturally.