The Netherlands 6 | SunMatrix Ramble

Volkswagen LinkedUit: A LinkedIn API Campaign

Volkswagen has released a first of its kind LinkedIn based campaign which takes full advantage of the new LinkedIn API. The campaign is based on the idea that the new Passat is as full of features as your LinkedIn profile is full of information.

The campaign is called “LinkedUit” (LinkedOut) and gives anyone who challenges a friend on LinkedIn a chance to win a Volkswagen Passat.

The game is really simple. After signing in using your LinkedIn profile, the app lets you choose others in your network to challenge. A LinkedIn victor, and a LinkedOut looser is then chosen based on education, experience, recommendations and connections.

Why this is a smart use of platform data

This campaign uses something people already curate and care about. Their professional identity. Instead of asking for attention, it uses existing LinkedIn data as the raw material for the experience.

Low input for users. The profile is already built. The game simply reads it.
High personal relevance. Comparisons feel personal because they are based on your own history.
Built-in social spread. Challenges create a natural loop through networks.

The Passat benefit: “feature-rich” as a metaphor

The creative link is straightforward. Passat equals feature-rich. LinkedIn profile equals information-rich. The experience makes the metaphor tangible by turning profile depth into a competitive score.

That kind of metaphor works when it is easy to explain in one sentence and easy to experience in one click.

What makes this type of social game succeed or fail

Fair scoring logic. If the rules feel arbitrary, people reject the result.
Fast time-to-result. The payoff must arrive quickly after sign-in.
Friendly rivalry. Challenges should feel playful, not judgmental.
Clear reward. A chance to win a Passat is a simple, memorable incentive.

What to take from this if you are building platform-native campaigns

Use the platform’s native data as the experience. The more you rely on what already exists, the lower the friction.
Make the mechanic social by default. Challenges, invites, and comparisons drive distribution.
Keep the brand connection clean. One strong metaphor beats multiple weak links.
Design for credibility. When you use personal data, transparency and perceived fairness matter.

A few fast answers before you act

What is Volkswagen “LinkedUit”?

It is a LinkedIn-based campaign that uses LinkedIn profile data to create a challenge game, giving participants a chance to win a Volkswagen Passat.

How does the game determine a winner?

The app compares elements such as education, experience, recommendations, and connections to choose a “LinkedIn victor” and a “LinkedOut” loser.

Why is the LinkedIn API important here?

Because it enables the experience to pull in profile information automatically, making the game quick to start and personally relevant without extra data entry.

What is the creative link to the Passat?

The campaign uses the idea that the new Passat is full of features, just like a LinkedIn profile is full of information, then turns that into a competitive mechanic.

What is the main lesson for social platform campaigns?

If you build around native identity and data, and make the interaction social by default, you can create an experience that spreads through the network naturally.

Renault: Facebook Likes in Real Life

For the Amsterdam Motorshow, Renault introduced the possibility of “liking” real objects offline and immediately sharing them online via the Facebook wall. They created this innovative and real-time social sharing experience with the help of a RFID Facebook card.

Specially made Facebook pillars were placed in front of the Renault cars. All the visitors had to do was hold their pass in front of these pillars and an automatic connection would be made to their Facebook profile, with the car being “shared” on their wall. This way their offline car experience was instantly shared with their online friends.

Renault used the RFID technology well, but last year Coca-Cola used the same in a more engaging manner at their Coca Cola Village event in Israel.

Why this felt new at the time

The breakthrough is not the “like” itself. It is the bridge. A physical moment becomes social output in seconds, without asking the visitor to take out a phone, search, type, or upload. The action stays frictionless, and the share becomes part of the experience rather than an afterthought.

One gesture. Tap the card, and the content posts.
Identity linked once. The RFID card connects the visitor to their profile without repeated logins.
Social proof at scale. Each tap becomes a public signal to friends, extending the showroom beyond the venue.

The reusable pattern

If you want real-time sharing from physical spaces, reduce the share action to a single motion and make the output predictable. The visitor should know exactly what will appear on their wall, and it should feel like a natural extension of the offline moment.

A few fast answers before you act

What did Renault do at the Amsterdam Motorshow?

Renault created an RFID-based activation that let visitors “like” cars offline by tapping a Facebook RFID card at branded pillars, which then posted the car to their Facebook wall.

Why use RFID instead of asking people to share on their phones?

RFID reduces friction. It removes typing, app switching, and upload steps, which increases participation and makes sharing feel effortless in the moment.

What is the main benefit of connecting offline experiences to social in real time?

It turns a physical event into an online distribution channel, where each participant becomes a broadcaster to their own network.

What should you be careful about with automated social posting?

Make the action intentional and the output transparent. People need to understand what will be posted before they tap.

The Royal Dutch Army #question

The Royal Dutch Army has only a few specific job openings this year and their challenge was to get qualified candidates to their website.

The ‘Qualified / Not Qualified’ Dutch army campaign is very well known in the Netherlands. The same theme was then used for judging answers to questions on Twitter, which had their own designated hash tag – #question.

So ad agency Publicis Amsterdam successfully used Twitter to attract the right candidates. Most importantly, they did it without the need for any followers as many Twitterers were already following #question.