Drive a Chevy Volt without using your hands on the Xbox Kinect

[Haltech]

Filed under: Hybrid, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, GM, Electric

Click above to view the video after the jump

There's a whole lot of technology built into the Chevy Volt, and some upcoming advertising for the plug-in hybrid looks to be just as futuristic (unlike General Motors' earlier efforts). Case in point: Chevrolet and Microsoft Advertising have announced that its new hands-free Xbox 360 Kinect accessory used with a new game called Kinect Joy Ride, will let you virtually test drive the Volt. In case you were wondering, this isn't about you figuring out if a real Volt is right for you; the Kinect is really about providing advertisers "an innovative way to connect with consumers by enabling them to physically explore and engage with a brand through voice and gesture." Microsoft is also showing off the Kinect technology with a Forza Motorsport tie-in but Chevy is the first ad partner for the device (the Kinect, not the Xbox, which is flooded with ads).

In order to drive the Volt in the game, players will first need to unlock the car and watch a Chevy Volt ad either on Xbox Live or on the web. Microsoft also demoed a huge potential Chevrolet Volt campaign at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival today that includes being able to:

"...add a local Chevrolet promotion event to their calendar to go test-drive a Volt or use voice-enabled search on Bing to find locations near them. Chevrolet will be the first auto marketer to incorporate a branded advertising experience for the new Windows Phone 7."

There may also be Microsoft Surface tables and and Kinect kiosks at future Volt promotional events. There's a video interview with Paul Edwards, executive director of marketing strategy with General Motors, talking about the ad deal after the jump.

[Source: Microsoft, Fast Company, Clickz]Continue reading Drive a Chevy Volt without using your hands on the Xbox Kinect

Drive a Chevy Volt without using your hands on the Xbox Kinect originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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