However, every so often, the marketing department of a car manufacturer comes through with something amazing that really grabs the attention of potential customers and beyond.
As technology has become more and more prevalent in everyday life, the more opportunities there are to create ads that think outside the box.
Kickstarting the trend of interactive car ads was Honda.
In an article on Engage Digital, it is reported that Honda bought billboard space in the Facebook social game Car Town.
Along with the virtual billboard space, users of the game can then use their virtual currency to purchase a virtual reproduction of the real-world car.
This has paved the way for other interactive car ads.
Below, we will look at some of the most amazing ads for cars.
Amazing Interactive Ads For Cars
Below are some of the best interactive adverts for cars that have been created. There is a mixture of print, video, and app-based adverts.
1. Volkswagen Interactive Test Drive Ad
This Volkswagen print ad is super interactive and a great way to get potential customers to engage with the new car.
The ad was printed inside conventional magazines as a two-page spread. The ad asked readers to download a specific app.
Once the app was downloaded, readers could launch it on their cell phones.
If they held the phone over the advert, they could make a Volkswagen car drive along the road that was pictured in the advert.
2. Volkswagen Park Assist II iAD
Another interactive car ad from Volkswagen is the advert for their Park Assist II feature.
This was an iAD, which means that it was an advert that was only available for devices that were touchscreen.
In particular, the advert was run in the iPad version of Auto Esporte magazine.
The advert is completely interactive and encourages the reader to place their fingers on two spots on the iPad screen.
Covering the two spots triggers the virtual Volkswagen Tiguan on the screen to park itself between your fingers to demonstrate how Park Assist works.
3. Mitsubishi Unpretentious Interactive App
Mitsubishi also wanted to get in on the interactive car ad action.
This interactive advert for the Outlander Sport was available exclusively on a Facebook app called Unpretentious.
Users can download the app and then upload a picture of their choice to the advert.
Pressing the start/stop button begins the video advertisement where the Outlander Sport drives straight through the user’s own photograph.
Then two men appear to make sure that the car is clean after passing through the photo.
4. Peugeot 408 Interactive Print Ad
Another amazingly interactive print ad comes from Peugeot. Around the launch of the Peugeot 408, the car manufacturer wanted to highlight the safety features of the vehicle.
There are many ways that they could have done this through a regular advertisement, however, the marketing department had a different idea.
This advertisement was run in regular magazines and took up three pages.
The first page is located on the right side of the magazine and features a picture of the front of the Peugeot 408.
There is a circle on the car that instructs the reader to strike the page. Upon doing so, the page seems to rise up.
When you turn the page, you are greeted with the interior of the 408 on a two-page spread.
Out of the steering wheel, there is a small, inflated airbag. The advert then goes on to talk about the 6 airbags in the cabin for your protection.
5. BMW i3 Immersive App Ad
This is another app-based interactive advert that comes from BMW.
This is one of the most elaborate interactive car ads that has ever been made and you can expect nothing less from BMW.
This advert was a 360-degree immersive interactive film, the first of its kind in the world.
In order to view the advert, potential customers were encouraged to download the BMW i3 Become Electric 360-degree Film app.
The app then takes users on an adventure through cities around the world, picking up passengers, and trying to complete the mission to make the world become electric.
6. Audi R8 Screenshot Ad
You can’t have a list of amazing interactive car ads without including this one from Audi for the launch of the R8.
This interactive ad is more like a game than any of the other ads on this list.
The advert only works on devices that are capable of taking screenshots. It was specifically designed for use on an iPad. When you watch the advert, it is essentially a game.
The advert asks you if you want to see the new Audi R8, to do so, all you have to do is take a screenshot as it passes across the screen.
Because it is a fast car and screenshots don’t always snap at the right time, this is likely to take the user a few attempts.
This is super clever marketing that makes users want to see the car more and more each time they fail to screenshot it.
It is also a fun game that can be returned to again and again.
Final Thoughts
With technology, games, and social media constantly at our fingertips, making interactive ads has never been easier.
The ads in this article have all pushed the boundaries of marketing and how we interact with adverts.
Hopefully, there will be more interactive ads in the future.
Hi, I’m Matt Johnson, and I work as a Digital Marketer. I started out as a PR assistant for a publishing company, and I quickly learned how important digital platforms are for marketing in the modern world.
This is why I started EngageDigital.com, to offer you a behind the scenes look at all of the most popular sites, applications and platforms, from Amazon to Snapchat, Venmo accounts, Instagram, NFTs, to Omegle and Tik Tok.
If you are looking for informative guides about using social media platforms, troubleshooting your devices, gaming, online shopping, and more, I hope to provide all of the answers you need here at EngageDigital.com!
