Who says online ads aren’t engaging? Two weeks ago Volkswagen took advantage of their one-day homepage takeover on Yahoo.com to give users a chance to play a classic 8-bit game—but with a Volkswagen twist.
Hybrid Hunter is a Jetta Hybrid driving game based on a well-known classic arcade game, Spy Hunter. Users could use their arrow keys to play, acquiring points by passing other hybrids on the road. The game even featured “eco-mode” and “turbo-mode” for the vehicle, letting the user to turn other vehicles into flowers for points, and to give the Jetta turbo speed.
The goal of the project was to create something engaging while telling the story of the Jetta Hybrid. The game is based in part on “Passing Lane,” an ad that shows how Jetta is the only hybrid you actually want to drive. “The new news is that the Jetta Hybrid has a turbo engine, so we tried to show it off as both fast and eco-friendly,” says Scott Clark, Associate Creative Director on the project.
While final engagement metrics are still being tallied, we know that the Yahoo placement garnered over 170 million impressions for the banner, giving the Jetta Hybrid the ultimate high score.
Here’s a video of the game in action:
