Mitsubishi Goes Driver-less

Have you ever bought a new car without taking it for a spin first? Mitsubishi is bringing the concept of the test drive in a new high-tech direction. Starting November 1st, Mitsubishi is offering you the opportunity to drive its new Outlander Sport online. On the surface it sounds like a video game, but this test drive is the real thing.

Mitsubishi Live Drive will let drivers use their computers to maneuver an actual Outlander Sport on a closed course in southern California. Multiple point-of-view cameras will put participants behind the wheel. Advanced electronic receivers and state-of-the-art servo motors will control the vehicle’s dynamics. Virtual boundaries connected by GPS are in place to keep you from driving off the course.



In a company press release, Mitsbuishi’s Vice-President of Marketing Greg Adams says, “We have worked hard to devise a truly innovative marketing campaign utilizing cutting edge technologies to recreate a genuine Mitsubishi-experience that engages consumers upfront about the new 2011 Outlander Sport and the Mitsubishi Motors brand.”

The test drives are only available for a 10 day period and each one lasts just 90 seconds. So it isn’t likely the Live Drive alone will sell many new Outlander Sport vehicles. Mitsubishi is counting on the buzz it will receive by doing something different. There is a huge amount of risk involved here. What happens if there’s a technical glitch? Mitsubishi could come across looking badly unprepared.

What do you think?
Do you give Mitsubishi credit for thinking big?

UPS Thinks Bigger, Gives Brown the Boot

For many years, UPS has been synonymous with one word: brown. Brown was more to UPS than the color of the company’s delivery trucks and uniforms. Brown was the UPS brand, thanks mainly to the “What can brown do for you?” advertising campaign that launched during the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Now UPS is going in a different direction. Brown is out. The slogan “We love logistics” is in. Take a look at the first television spot touting UPS as the leader in logistics.



UPS wants to be known as more than a package delivery company. According to a company press release, the new worldwide campaign is meant to “demonstrate how it has vaulted past competitors to offer the broadest range of logistics services in the industry.” UPS has launched a separate website to show how companies all over the world leverage the power of logistics.

How will consumers react to the new UPS branding? Brown was easy to wrap your arms around. Logistics is more difficult. Non-business people might have a hard time even defining the word logistics. Making logistics a household word will be a huge challenge.

What do you think?