The True Blood MINI Convertible: Exclusively for Vampires
If BMW says it, it must be true: vampires are among us.
BMW’s MINI Cooper is just one of the real products being marketed in a faux campaign for vampires, coinciding with the second-season premiere of HBO’s vampire drama -- “True Blood.”
The MINI ads feature blood-red versions of the MINI Cooper and the MINI Clubman with headlines like “Feel the Wind in Your Fangs” and “Type GO.”
Last year, HBO launched a similar type of viral marketing, using YouTube. In a viral marketing effort by Campfire (the same marketers who convinced us that the Blair Witch was real), vampires worldwide appeared to demand suffrage by creating their own amateur YouTube videos promoting a blood substitute.
The aim of blurring the lines between reality and fiction through these ads and the show's microsites – bloodcopy.com, fellowshipofthesun.org and americanvampireleague.com – is to fully immerse consumers in the experience and premise of the show.
According to an article published in MediaPost, MINI and several other popular consumer products featured in the campaign – Harley-Davidson, Gillette, Monster.com, and Geico – can sit back and enjoy the ride, as HBO is taking on all the creative and media costs for the campaign.
This year’s ads can be seen in national print publications (like US Weekly, AM New York, and the New York Observer), online, and outdoor advertisements. All of the ads include URLs that lead consumers to HBO’s “True Blood” website at HBO.com.
If you subscribe to HBO, you can drink your fill at the show’s premiere Sunday.
-- Kelsey Ramos
Photo of "True Blood" print ad provided by HBO
