Heavy rain and wind on Friday morning at the FedEx Field parking lot did not postpone Audi U.S.A.’s launch of a five-city tour for the new Q5, the carmaker’s first SUV. Sonoma, California-based car marketing agency Emotive produced the event, dubbed the "Driving Experience," with decor and production assistance from Sonoma- and Falls Church-based firm E. Fitz Events.
The three-day launch ran from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., garnered nearly 400 attendees daily, and comprised eight three-hour sessions. Participants registered in advance after receiving an invitation from a local Audi dealership or after reading advertisments for the event on Daily Candy or on Washingtonpost.com. On opening day, plastic ponchos and umbrellas were provided at the door.
In past years, the event took over auto race courses, far from city centers. Audi department manager of experiential marketing Younghee Wong said that this year the company instead headed to sports venues in or near major cities to make the events more attractive (and convenient) to women, the primary target market for SUVs. “In our advertising, to attract more women, we have emphasized a community aspect of girlfriends getting together, going in a group,” said Wong. Sports venues also offer large parking areas.
E. Fitz Events positioned corporate banners at the event's entrance and marked a large area of the parking lot with traffic cones. Guests entered a lavender 50-foot domed tent for registration and waited for the beginning of the program in a reception area equipped with a breakfast or lunch buffet, provided by Continental Caterers, and modern café and lounge furniture. When the appointed time came, the group moved to a connecting dome of the same size, where technicians showed a 30-minute 360-degree video starring the Q5.
Next up was an outdoor viewing of the actual Q5, after which guests took the wheel, with professional drivers on board, for a 30-minute street drive and a full hour of closed-course maneuvers that demonstrated the car’s breaking and handling capabilities. Sessions ended with an indoor interactive video competition where participants had the chance to win iTunes download cards, Bang & Olufsen sound equipment, Atomic skis, and a trip to Sonoma.
The tour's next stops are New York from April 17 to 19, Chicago (April 24 to 26), Miami (May 1 to 3), and Los Angeles (May 15 to 17).
Correction: The text was updated to reflect the relationship between show producer Emotive and E. Fitz Events.
