The ad allows the viewer to navigate to previously visited pages which ties into the ‘rear view camera’ technology of the VW.

Click the image above or click here to view the ad.

The article goes on to say that the Honda Insight: “is aimed at people between the ages of 24 and 54. Honda expects buyers to range from first-time new-car buyers to empty nesters. The Insight TV ads that will appear in the Xbox game don’t target young people but have a youthful feel.”

Ok.  You’re targeting Xbox Live users but not young people but your ad has a youthful feel for that 45 year old businesswoman who after a hard days work is just itching to get on Xbox Live??? Maybe I’m missing something here, but did anybody bother to do their homework?  Anybody’s who played on XBL (that’s Xbox Live for the uninitiated) knows that this is ground zero for a much younger demographic and not exactly appealing to the majority of Honda Insight’s target market.  Let’s see what the ‘official stats’ say…

Nielsen recently released demographic statistics for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii that showed:

Wii: The best selling of the three systems appeals to boys age 6-11 and women age 25-34. Usage of Wii by women 35+ is much higher than with the Xbox 360 and PS3. Games such as Wii Fit, Guitar Hero and Rock Band appear to have engaged an older female gamer like never before.

Usage of Wii by the 18-24 age group, considered the core/hardcore gaming segment, is low for both genders compared to the other two consoles. However, Wii has been successful in broadening the gaming market to a wider demographic audience. (My note – the casual game audience they seem to want to target…)

Xbox 360: For males, the largest percentage of usage is in the 12-17 age group, older than Wii, but younger than PS3. For females, the 25-34 age group had the highest percentage of usage. These consumers may also be attracted to the other services featured such as Xbox Live, which offers online play, online audio/video chat, and the ability to download movies (now with Netflix as part of the NXE Xbox Live update), classic video and user-generated games, additional game content and music videos.(My note – I can see how they might feel that the female 25-34 age group is right in the demo wheelhouse….but keep reading)

PS3: The Sony console skews the oldest of the three consoles, and that could be the result of consumer brand loyalty, since Sony has been the dominant market player since it introduced the PlayStation in 1994 and PlayStation 2 in 2000. Gamers who owned one or both of these consoles in their youth may have “graduated” to the PS3 in their assumed adulthood. For both males and females, the highest usage came from the 18-24 age group.

In terms of overall usage, males using the Xbox 360 are playing almost twice as many days per months as females (10.2 vs. 5.4 in December), but on the other two consoles, usage days for males and females are much closer. On average, the least used console is the Wii.

To me this last paragraph is key.  Most XBL users are much younger males that are more active than the target demo of the Honda Insight promotion.  This leaves a very small percentage of XBL users that fall within the target demographic and then you’re banking on that small percentage playing casual games on XBL.  Swing and a miss…

This reeks of an agency convincing a client to do something ‘cool’ and ‘cutting edge’ without doing their due diligence.   Sure, doing a promotion on XBL sounds cool (and costs a crapload) but you’re much better off targeting casual gamer sites like Pogo, Big Fish Games or Pop Cap Games. Well, at the very least, hopefully the Honda Insight will still be around in 5 – 10 years when the XBL demo they’re currently targeting gets old enough to actually purchase one…

“I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” As the world markets continue on their bearish trend, not knowing where the bottom lies, automotive companies are struggling to survive. Consumer confidence has plummeted and the world’s leading automotive manufacturers will have to redefine their brand in order to capture a much wiser and cautious consumer base.

Ford’s latest commercial sets a tone for their future. Juxtaposed with Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken”, the commercial identifies with the crossroads at which we all stand in today’s turbulent times. Automakers and consumers alike face serious decisions. Do we continue on the same path or do we take a chance to redefine ourselves and make a difference, for better or worse? The Australian spot strikes at the heart of the American spirit, playing a resonant chord of hard work, risk, passion, and ingenuity, the same spirit that has helped shape today’s global economy. It is a suggestion of a life of integrity and choice, a life of freedom and possibilities, something most can identify with. We have all stood at a life-changing crossroad. Will consumers take Ford’s road? Yes, if their product meets the expectations created by their story.

If you would prefer that in English, let me translate: use Twitter Search to track what consumers are saying about your brand and product offerings. Think of it as an online survey or focus group, only you don’t need to pay a ton of cash for it. Oh, and if your brand has the stones for it (which, let’s be honest, you can’t afford not to have the stones for it in today’s marketplace. You need to have internal people focused on social media, it’s just that simple) you should absolutely be taking advantage of this opportunity, and working to engage those consumers in open and honest dialogue. Doesn’t matter if what they’re writing is negative or positive. If it’s positive, great! You have a brand evangelist. If it’s negative, well, that’s an opportunity for you to personally address their issues/concerns and turn them into an evangelist.

Want to see it done right? Check out Scott Monty. He’s head of social media for the Ford Motor Company. You may have heard of Ford, they’ve been in the news lately. I’ll give ya a hint why, it starts with a “B” and ends with an “AILOUT”…

@Jack2Point0