Is this tapping the power of social Networking ? Mazda uses one of the popular online game Farmville for the publicity of their upcoming car. Farmville have a new option on Facebook, Driverville. Mazda is sponsoring Driverville to create publicity for its new Mazda2 small car.
Though Mazda isn't a new car since it is being sold around the world since 2007, the Mazda2 is only now coming to the U.S.
In Driverville, players earn Driverbucks by completing missions in the game, useful for buying items and customizing their cars. The first set of three missions, which include talking to Mazda Mike at the virtual Mazda dealership and collecting flags around Driverville, earn players a Mazda2 in the game.
Locations in Driverville include an arcade, a movie theater, and the Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway. We tried out the first game in the arcade, which involved taking the wheels on and off a car. The game did not include the attendant cursing at frozen lug nuts. Similarly, we were disappointed that the in-game version of Laguna Seca only had four turns, strangely with the apexes marked on the outside.
The Little Mazda 2, five-door hatchback gets 100 horsepower from a 1.5-liter engine, and has a base price of $13,980.