| EVENT REPORT 04.09.09 3:33 PM |
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| To win favor in the competitive—and challenged—consumer market, brands at the New York International Auto Show are employing user-controlled demonstrations, car-loving canines, and robots in disguise. |
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The 2009 New York International Auto Show kicked off two days of press previews yesterday at the Jacob K. Javits Center, and even though it’s not a particularly busy market for buying, dozens of brands are filling the pared-down displays with participatory elements to engage and educate consumers. Interactive elements, marketing partnerships, and unconventional spokespeople all punctuate this year's show.
Produced by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association and helmed by show director Candida Romanelli, this is the largest annual trade show in New York. More than one million attendees are expected to walk the show floor by the time it ends a 12-day run. Auto marketers look at every one of those million as consumers planning to purchase a new car within the next year, and market accordingly. |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | General Motors capitalized on buzz from earlier in the week when it test-drove prototypes of its new battery-powered Segway by bringing the small vehicle into the show.
Photo: Roger Dong for BizBash |
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 | Honda showed off its new dog-friendly Element concept car with help from four-legged Sammy, who demonstrated how to use the access ramp.
Photo: Roger Dong for BizBash |
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 | Scion stacked eight of its models in a towering rack display that doubled as a video space when projection screens dropped in front of the cars.
Photo: Roger Dong for BizBash |
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 | Underneath the tower of cars, Scion built a glowing display of hubcaps and driving wheels taken from the different models.
Photo: Roger Dong for BizBash |
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 | Above Audi's booth, the company built a small cafe that overlooks the models through a sheer curtain.
Photo: Roger Dong for BizBash |
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 | General Motors brought in cars used in the upcoming Transformers film, but couldn't construct the giant model of an actual Transformer robot until after the press preview.
Photo: Roger Dong for BizBash |
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 | The Toyota Prius display included a circular seat that when moved, controlled a surround video system like a remote control.
Photo: Roger Dong for BizBash |
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 | For the Mini Cooper display, producers built a small Astroturf lawn, complete with park benches and street signs.
Photo: Roger Dong for BizBash |
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 | Hovering over its display models, Land Rover had television screens larger than the cars it was plugging.
Photo: Roger Dong for BizBash |
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 | As more and more consumers look to smaller, more energy efficient automobiles, subcompacts like the Smart Car are more commonplace at the show.
Photo: Roger Dong for BizBash |
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Set designers for brands such as Toyota, Chevrolet, and BWM all tempered the cavalcade of speeches in favor of interactive video displays, with unique navigation tools like the Toyota Prius set’s ottoman that doubled as a remote control. Other brands, such as Honda, maintained demonstrations starring brand representatives—but with unique twists. For the demonstration of its new, pet-friendly SUV, Honda brought in an Australian cattle dog named Sammy to ascend the dog ramp.
General Motors’ Chevrolet division brought in three cars from the upcoming Transformers sequel at the request of show organizers. Romanelli was so interested in seeing the statue of film character Bumblebee brought from the Chicago Auto Show, she offered Chevrolet several thousand square feet of free space to put up a display. The brand got more than 20,000 email addresses from visitors who had their photos snapped with the robot at the Chicago show alone.
For now, all of the elements are still reserved for press and attendees of tonight's preview gala to benefit the East Side House Settlement. General admission unofficially opens for a public preview tomorrow, and the show runs through April 19.
—Michael O'Connell
RELATED TOPICS
New York International Auto Show, Chicago Auto Show, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Transformers, BMW, Chevrolet
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