Mercedes, Audi Unveil Social-Media Plans Around Super Bowl Ads

Mercedes-Benz and Audi of America today are expected to unveil "separate plans to launch high-profile social-media contests" as part of their Super Bowl XLV ad efforts that "offer hefty prizes to consumers who best use unconventional social-media tactics to tweet and digitally tout" the brands before the Feb. 6 game, according to Bruce Horovitz of USA TODAY. Mercedes-Benz plans to launch "The World's First Twitter-Fueled Race," which awards "two new cars to the two-person team of social-media wizards that garners for Mercedes-Benz the most tweets, Facebook 'likes' and social-media currency by game day." Similarly, Audi will "host an Audi Inner Circle social-media contest open to everyone." The auto manufacturer will look for "its 10 'most active' social-media fans" before the Super Bowl, awarding "glitzy trips and other prizes to the fans whose social-media posts are most original and most numerous." Horovitz notes most "major marketers in the 2011 Super Bowl will have strong social-media components in their campaigns." Social-media consultant Jay Baer warns that most efforts "won't be able to stand out amidst the flood of 'Let's Do a Facebook Contest About the Super Bowl' marketing lemmings." However, social-media consultant Pam Moore said, "The ones that don't do it will be left behind." All 68 commercial slots for the Fox broadcast "have sold out -- months earlier than in the past few years" (USA TODAY, 12/13).