VW Auction Rides NBA Event
VW is trying to bring new meaning to “auto after-market” with an online auction of two items it produced as part of its NBA All-Star Weekend promotion.
Volkswagen of America is auctioning off two hoods from Touareg SUVs that were each autographed by 40 celebrities during the VW I.P. (“Volkswagen Important People”) promotion held in February.
The auction runs through April 11 on eBay, with proceeds to benefit non-profit Feed the Children. As of yesterday, only one bid had been submitted for either hood.
The auction began April 2 with a minimum bid of $500 for each hood. They’ll be mounted and framed as wall hangings before being delivered to the highest bidders.
VW is using the auction to get a little more mileage out of its February promotion that piggybacked NBA All-Star Weekend festivities in Las Vegas. This is the third year that the automaker has hosted promotional activities during All-Star Weekend as part of its strategy to build brand image by hanging out at cultural hot spots like the Sundance Film Festival.
This year, VW turned up its All-Star presence with a 5-on-5 Drive Challenge that pit celebrities against each other on an obstacle course, and a Million Dollar Joy Ride instant-win game that let consumers test-drive the Touareg, then try their luck at a slot machine (PROMO Xtra, Feb. 9, 2007).
As part of the promotional weekend, VW parked two Touaregs near the Kenny Smith All Star Bash and Celebrity Poker Tournament and the National Basketball Players’ Association Gala to collect celebrity autographs on the hoods. In all, the cars drew signatures from 40 from athletes, actors and musicians.
But VW is having tougher time drawing bidders. As of yesterday, there was only one bid on the black hood (for $500) and no bids on the silver hood.
