Run, iPhone, Run

As the internet moves towards being location-based so do brand marketing techniques, and Mini has stepped it up a gear. MINI Getaway Stockholm is an iPhone app that allows you to find a virtual Mini. Once you’re within 50 metres of the virtual car you click “take it” on the app, then run.

If you have the car at the end of the week you get a real Mini. The app tells you where all your nearest rivals are so you can avoid the other players.
As ideas go, it’s novel and cool. Not to mention it’s the first attempt at a location-based competition.

The app is free, but only available on the iPhone. This excludes Android and other smart phone users. I would be interested to see how many people played and how many times the vehicle changed hands.

If it goes well I could see this being recreated across other capital cities.
The best part of the campaign is that a lot of the users will download the app even though the virtual car might not be anywhere near them. This means the app now acts as an advert for the new car.

The Mini Countryman is the latest version of the Mini car range. It will be released in the next couple of months in Stockholm.

To advertise the campaign, marketing agency Jung von Matt Stockholm created a YouTube video which has been viewed nearly 50,000 times since it was uploaded on 18 October.
The promotion begins on 31 October and ends on 7 November.

One of the main issues with the campaign was highlighted in the YouTube video – people might act out of character to steal the car from the person who has it.

The video shows people racing after the guy who has the virtual vehicle – could this happen in real life, and if so, could it turn violent?

People can get very competitive, especially for a big prize like a car. I just hope no negative consequences happen so that other brands will be willing to experiment with location-based competitions, preferably in London.