Seat Taxi Saves Passengers Money Each Time It Brakes?

Using one of their latest features, Seat Taxi in Germany saves taxi passengers money every time the driver used the brakes. A clever way of product marketing?

Seat Taxi Fuel Saving Technology

The “Brake Energy Recovery System” is one of Seat’s most innovative technologies. It collects energy usually lost when a car brakes and then uses this energy when it accelerates again.

So instead of being wasted, this energy creates significant fuel savings.

In order to promote this technology the agency Grey Worldwide Düsseldorf created The Seat Taxi Fare. See the video here:

The “Brake Energy Recovery System” was connected to the taximeter of the Seat Alhambra so every time the driver used the brakes the taximeter would run backwards.

Cameras were hidden inside the car and random people were picked up around Düsseldorf, Germany.

The stunt shows once more how Seat is all about Enjoyneering.

My Opinion?
Product marketing can be clever and simple. That what Seat Taxi is proving with this spot.

Almost everybody in the target audience will understand this messaging around their product innovation.

Some brands go fully overboard with their creatives, I am not always convinced that the targets will understand the messasing or the product benefits.

In such a case, or in case of bad products, advertising might be the lipstick on a pig.

Looking at new cars sales in Q1 2013, it’s clear that effective promotions are not a nice to have.

What About You?
How do you rate the Seat Taxi message? What other great car promotions have you spotted recently?

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About the Author
Igor Beuker was CMO at 3 listed companies, chairman at the IAB, jury member at Webby, AMMA and Esprix awards, founder of 3 digital agencies (sold to WPP) and global chief social officer at Mindshare. Now he is freejack consultant and still a sought after keynote speaker.