Chevrolet has announced plans for a multiscreen campaign to let consumers interact with the brand via multiple touch points such as the PC, mobile phones, Xbox and Surface.

The Chevrolet Volt campaign is being demonstrated live on stage at the Cannes Advertising Festival and will include several proof-of-concept advertising integrations being discussed for the final campaign, including extending it across multiple screens. Microsoft Advertising is powering the campaign.

?The Volt applies advanced environmental technology to give Chevrolet drivers freedom from the gas pump, making it one of the most exciting developments the automotive industry has seen in years,? said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of Chevrolet Marketing, Detroit.

?Our marketing campaign needs to reflect this,? he said. ?Kinect allows us to bring the excitement of the showroom to the living rooms of our customers.

?It?s a way for us to replicate the experience of physically engaging with a product that is essential to the customer?s purchasing decision.? 

For the mobile aspect of the campaign, Chevrolet plans to launch a branded experience on the new Windows Phone 7. The campaign will be the first auto brand to create a branded experience on Windows Phone 7.  

The campaign takes the idea of a test drive to a new level by giving consumers the opportunity to drive a Chevrolet Volt in the new Kinect-based Xbox 360 game, ?Joy Ride,? the first controller-free driving game.

Multiscreen approach
The concept of multiscreen marketing is simple, according to Microsoft Advertising. 

However, most marketers find it extremely difficult to execute. But there is so much value in being able to tell a brand?s story through multiple screens, which also means more than one consumer touch point.

Chevrolet?s upcoming campaign will promote the launch of the Volt electric car during the 2010 holiday season. This campaign will illustrate how an integrated approach breaks new ground in terms of driving greater impact and consumer engagement across multiple screens ? PC, TV, mobile and Surface.

Chevrolet?s multiscreen campaign with Microsoft incorporates Kinect as the anchor point of its launch activities for the Chevrolet Volt during the 2010 holiday season. 

Microsoft will take multiscreen marketing to an entirely new level ? consumers will be able to interact with a brand through touch and gesture using Kinect for Xbox 360. 

Mobile enhancement
The mobile execution extends the multimedia experience to on-the-go consumers in an interactive and immersive manner via Windows Phone 7.

Per Microsoft, adding mobile allows consumers to engage with brands in an immersive and meaningful way while on the go. 

One execution that is being explored involves a mobile brand experience, in which consumers can add a local Chevrolet promotion event to their calendar to go test-drive a Volt or use voice-enabled search on Bing to find locations near them.

Mobile is being used to enhance the Chevrolet campaign. It is an interactive channel that enables consumers to connect with a brand through a rich, immersive experience when they are not at home in front of their TV or PC.

On-the-go consumers can physically explore and interact with the brand maximizing convenience, awareness and engagement.

In addition, mobile addresses the needs of advertisers such as reaching a target audience with a key message, enhancing brand awareness and increasing campaign effectiveness. 

For example, mobile advertising response rates routinely outperform online. According to InsightExpress, mobile advertising campaign norms were four-and-a-half to five times more effective than online norms.

As a result, mobile advertising is becoming a must-have component of an advertiser?s media mix.

?Chevrolet Volt is not only offering a new way for car buyers to interact with and learn about a vehicle before heading to the dealership,? said Darren Huston, corporate vice president of the global consumer and online group at Microsoft, Seattle.

?And it?s enabling people to virtually test drive the Volt from the comfort of their own living room,? he said. ?This campaign showcases the kind of breakthrough digital campaigns we can deliver for marketers when we combine great partnerships with leading-edge software innovation.?