Porsche Reveals Secret Prototypes to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of the 911

Porsche Secrets

If you’re a fan of high-performance cars and the Porsche in particular, then you already know that 2013 is the 50th anniversary of the iconic 911 model.

In order to remain a leader in innovation, Porsche has produced numerous prototypes and race-specific models over those 50 years for research and development. The Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen features a collection of Porsche’s from throughout the car-maker’s history, but the six featured in the #911secrets campaign (according to the video) are being revealed to the public for the first time.

Viewers will be asked to answer three questions based on facts covered in the video clip that feature each car. It appears there is no actual prizes to win, just the satisfaction that you are a Porsche expert, or you were sneaky enough to login to the competition twice.

The cars include; the 911 Aerodynamic Concept, the 911 SC E. Africa Rally Car, the 911 Mid-Engine, the 911 V8, the first 911 Turbo, and the 911 San Remo Rally Car.

If you don’t do very well in the trivia competition (I only managed 72.767 seconds) you can always visit the Porsche China site and make beautiful music with Porsche 911 engines.

[via Porsche Facebook]

Germany

Goodbye Bjorn. Change Your Name to Klaus-Heidi and Lufthansa Will Help You Start a New Life in Berlin

Lufthansa - Start a new life in Berlin as klaus-Heidi

In what may be the ultimate hipster prize package, German airline Lufthansa is looking for a Swedish citizen who is willing to change their first name to Klaus-Heidi and start a new life in Berlin.

The person (male or female) who can legally change their name first, qualifies to win an apartment for a year in the up and coming neighbourhood of Kreuzberg/Neukölln, a hand built bicycle by My Own Bike, German language lessons, free flights to Munich and Frankfurt, and according to the video clip, a new neighbour named Dieter.

The campaign was created by DDB, Stockholm. More details at Klaus-Heidi.se.

[via Gute Werbung]

Sweden

Bertolli Germany Responds with Facebook Flair to Barilla Chairman’s Anti-Gay Comments

Bertolli - Love and Pasta for All

As the week ended, the uproar continued on social media over comments made by Barilla Pasta chairman Guido Barilla in a interview, Wednesday on Italian radio interview.

Barilla commented that: “I would never do (a commercial) with a homosexual family, not for lack of respect but because we don’t agree with them. Ours is a classic family where the woman plays a fundamental role.”

Barilla went on to say, “If gays like our pasta and our advertising, they’ll eat our pasta, if they don’t like it then they will not eat it and they will eat another brand.”

On Friday morning, Bertolli Germany’s social media agency Orca im Hafen, responded with a Facebook status titled “Pasta und Liebe für alle!” (Pasta and Love for all), and image of various “pasta couples” happily dancing their way along a wooden spoon towards their delicious demise.

While there have been calls for a boycott of Barilla products, the controversy is not hurting their social media followers. The total likes on the Barilla Facebook page has increased nearly by nearly 10,000 followers since Thursday.

[via Ad Week]

Germany

Interactive 3D Model of Audi R8 Constructed from Fan Comments

Audi - #OneMillionReasons

Audi Germany have launched an interactive web experience that takes the positive sentiments posted about the brand on social media using the hashtags #onemillionreasons. The comments are presented as a single particle in an interactive 3D model of the Audi R8.

Audi will select eight fans to attend the IAA 2013 in Frankfurt and enjoy a 2 hour escorted R8 fan ride.

Audi fans can search, find and share their contributions through their social media channels or save the 3D model as wallpaper.

The project was created by agency Razorfish and creative production company Minivegas.

[via The Drum]

Germany

Audi invites eight selected fans to visit us at the IAA 2013 in Frankfurt. Take a look behind the scenes at the world’s largest car show and learn new Audi
already know before anyone else.

But then you have the the Frankfurt skyline behind him quickly: At the wheel of an Audi R8, you experience dynamic and agile pure performance.

They also tell us what you like about Audi and with a little luck we may welcome you soon as a pilot Audi R8 in Frankfurt.

Fiat’s Abarth 500 “Too Fast to Follow” on Twitter

Fiat Abarth 500 - Too Fast to Follow on Twitter

While certainly not the most important metric of social media success, increasing the number of followers is an important pursuit for a lot of Twitter users and brands. Some Twitter users have even gone to the social media black market to buy large blocks of fake users to increase their follower number.

It’s quite the opposite strategy with Fiat Germany, who aren’t interested in follower numbers at all for the Fiat Abarth 500 Twitter profile. To reinforce the messaging that the car is “Too Fast to Follow”, (top speed is 205 km/h) and contravening everything about the way social media should work, you cannot even follow the account. Yes, you can press the ‘follow’ button, but in moments you will be blocked keeping their follower account steady at “0”.

[via Mdelmas]

Germany

SEAT Demonstrates Brake Energy Recovery System With Shrinking Taxi Fare Stunt

SEAT Taxi Fare

Kinetic energy recovery systems recover the energy present in the waste heat created by a car’s braking system, which can be used later to aid in acceleration, creating fuel cost savings.

To demonstrate the brake energy recovery system to, SEAT Germany and Grey Worldwide rigged up one of the brand’s Alhambra minivans to look like a typical Düsseldorf taxi, complete with dash-mounted fare meter.

Hidden cameras caught the perplexed reaction of customers as the cost of the fare actually decreased each time the vehicle braked. A simple execution that directly communicates the cost-savings of SEAT’s technology.

[via Creative Criminals]

Germany

German Charity MISEREOR Creates Realistic “Afrika Kicker” Foosball Game

MISEREOR - Afrika Kicker

Hamburg-based agency Kolle Rebbe has created an interactive donation box in the form of a foosball table for German charity MISEREOR, with the 2 euro donations going to benefit the children of Rwanda and South Africa.

But Afrika Kicker is not a typical Foosball table, with smooth uncluttered playing surface. Players challenge each other on a bumpy clay surface, and must negotiate obstacles like a tree and well hole, just like in some real African football matches.

Players can broadcast their Afrika Kicker match via a Livestream, or just keep their Facebook friends updated with the score.

[via Pull the Trigger]

Germany

German Composer’s ‘Pocket Symphonies’ Promoted With Dramatic Short-Film ‘Rebirth’

Pocket Symphonies - Rebirth

Dresden-based composer and producer Sven Helbig is not your typical classical composer, having collaborated with such contemporary artists as Pet Shop Boys, Snoop Dogg and Rammstein.

In February, Helbig released a new collection of compositions. Entitled “Pocket Symphonies“, the collection features twelve short pieces for orchestra and piano quartet inspired by the melodies found in film music.

To promote the album Hamburg-based agency Kolle Rebbe created ‘Rebirth, a dramatic one minute long short firm directed by Kai Schonrath for CZAR Berlin.

Four of the tracks from ‘Pocket Symphonies’ can be found on Helbig’s Soundcloud channel.

Germany

Mercedes-Benz Curates Photo Exhibit From User’s #Untamed Instagram Pics

Mercedez-Benz #Untamed Instagram ExhibitDo you have a few truly unusual photos in your Instagram collection? If so, then now’s your chance to add them to #Untamed, a unique digital photo installation inspired by the new Mercedes-Benz CLA.

To participate, go to untamed-installation.com, connect to your Instagram profile and select the three most unusual photos from your stream. Each of your photos will be evaluated (it’s not clear exactly how), and given an #Untamed Score. The score is based on how original your style is, and how different it is from others that have been submitted.

As you can see in the screen grab above, my picture of a wooden cat that doubles as a birdhouse scored a healthy 89, yet a giant zombie hand scored a paltry 36.

The installation was created by Hamburg agency Jung von Matt/Alster, and will be on display in Paris in April 2013, hopefully with a few of my Instagram photos included.

[via PSFK]

FranceGermany

Terrifying German Tea Ad Will Brew Up Your Nightmares

Herbaria Drown Your Fears

Most ads for tea take the safe route, showing people gently sipping their freshly brewed tea as they relax and take a break from the business of their day.

German organic food producer Herbaria has gone the complete opposite direction in advertising the calming effects of their tea products. The ad features actors portraying Pennywise the clown from ‘It’, Leatherface from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the Grim Reaper. The characters are dropped into water where they fight for their lives while being dragged down by tea bags wrapped around their legs.

‘Fears’ was created by Hamburg agency Jung von Matt/Necktar and directed by Andreas Roth for Tempomedia Filmproduktion.

[via Creative Criminals]

Germany