Honda-owned Acura is flaunting its new 2014 MDX SUV with a multichannel campaign that uses media placements on mobile, tablet and desktop devices to show off three new videos.

The campaign is being used to promote Acura?s new 2014 MDX SUV. By integrating mobile into the marketing mix, Acura is hoping to use the medium to drive foot traffic to dealerships and online visits to its Web site.

?Mobile is a critical tactic to help us reach the luxury consumer and our plan incorporates and embraces mobile,? said Chuck Schifsky, manager of public relations at Acura, Torrance, CA.

?Mobile enhances overall media mix with scale and synergy, helps purchase funnel metrics and efficiently delivers engagement on our sites such as Acura.com,? he said.

Drive on mobile
Acura is debuting three new commercials that are meant to show the design and engineering philosophies that go into the car. The MDX SUV targets a higher-end consumer with a beginning retail price of $42,000.

The one-minute long ?Human Race? spot flips through a series of images that are meant to show how the new car has evolved to sync up with the same harmony as its driver.

The ?Re-Invention? spot on the other hand shows how the car has been built from the ground up. The final spot, dubbed ?Choose? highlights the car?s integrated dynamic system that shifts between three driving modes ? sport, normal and comfort.

According to Acura, the mobile-specific outlets will be location-based and target prospective consumers in places such as museums where they likely have more time to spend.

The campaign will also be promoted through national and local television, online video, social media, out-of-home components and on print ads.

Acura worked with its creative agency of record Mullen and media agency of record MediaVest on the campaign.

Mobile past
Acura has used mobile in the past as part of a multichannel approach.

For instance, in 2010 the company enabled its print ads with 2D bar codes that connected consumers to a mobile landing page (see story).

Additionally, Acura was one of the presenting advertisers this year of ESPN?s Tournament Challenge during March Madness, which included mobile Web components and a campaign within ESPN?s Bracket Bound app (see story).

For a car brand specifically, there is a great opportunity for marketers to use mobile to link a physical dealership to an online experience with contextual and location-based creative.

?Mobile is no longer an afterthought or a stunt tactic and is a critical component of all over our broader media decisions,? Mr. Schifsky said.

?The Acura consumer uses mobile in just about every aspect of their daily lives ranging from sourcing information, seeking entertainment and staying connected in general,? he said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York