smart fortwo electric drive program in a smart city
It may be a small car, but it has a BIG personality. So the only way to execute a press program is by going big and that’s exactly what OSK did. In the short span of 24-hours the multifaceted press program brought out the competitive spirit of the guests and showcased the unique features of the newest smart model. Needless to say OSK hit it out of the park.
OSK was challenged to create a concept distinctive from previous press test drives. The smart fortwo electric drive is unique in the Mercedes family; it is a practical alternative for the urban individual focusing on the convenience and agility it offers in a city environment. The lasting impression from the program was not about the distance drove, but the practicality of the drive.
The drive program focused on exemplifying the personality of the smart car – to have fun! This press test drive was not built to follow a directed drive route; instead the journalists were able to venture off to various key points around the city for a “match your smart” photo challenge. By choosing their own adventure journalist had the opportunity to discover the urban mobility and agility of the smart car; making use of its 360 degree turning radius to position themselves virtually anywhere for the most optimal photo.
The program began with the arrival of major national automotive journalists into San Diego, California – a location selected to underscore where the smart car and its electric counterpart are highly successful and why they are successful. Not only does California comprise of about half of the smart business overall, but the city of San Diego is equipped with over 600 charging stations making it one of the country’s smart cities.
Journalist spent the day zooming around the city matching their smart and sparking curiosity about the latest smart car in the market. The journalists were brought back together in the evening to take advantage of one distinctive feature of the model. As the only electric convertible on the market, OSK decided to emphasize this feature by creating a special presentation of the press briefing under the lights. Stadium lights that is. The featured press briefing took the shape of a ‘drive-in theatre’ with the San Diego Padre’s Petco Park jumbotron as the screen.
“Oohs” and “Ahhs” could be heard as the journalists walked out onto the outfield of the privately rented stadium. Guests were ushered to their seats inside the smart electric drive cars as a pre-recorded “The Final Match” movie featuring Dr. Annette Winkler and Bernie Glaser played with the sound emitting through the sound system of each car. The night concluded with a ballpark themed feast, a League of Their Own viewing, and some catch on the infield. Overall its safe to say the program was a homerun.