What is advertising? Selling a car for $8000?

In a continued effort to question and define the business we work in, here is another edition of What is advertising?

Probably the worst way to get street racers to stop and think about what they're doing is to make an ad telling them to do so. This generation is not only media aware, but also quite cynical when it comes to this type of messaging. So when Ogilvy Aukland was tasked with impacting the deadly problem of street racing they didn't make a TV with screeching tires or police sirens, they tried selling a Subaru WRX STi for only $8000.

Posters were taped to telephone poles and small ads were placed in the classifieds. Interested buyers were directed to a call a number where they were met with a message from another street racer whom between tears and sobs, explains why he wants to get rid of the car.

In total the effort garnered over $250,000 in free media. Not bad considering the campaign's budget was a mere $950.