Mini Billboards to Get Interactive

Mini is sending out invitations to some preferred owners in order to test a new advertising concept to promote the new Mini Cooper and Cooper S. The company is sending out instructions that allow the owners to personalize messages broadcast from billboards — yes, the big billboards you see on the highway — in select cities including New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Miami. The company is known for its innovative billboard advertising, but this is a whole new level of attention-grabbing.

After you enter some non-intrusive facts about yourself the company sends you a key fob. Their new billboards will sense the key fob approaching and display an appropriate message just for you, even though everyone else on the highway will see it as well. An example from Mini’s release reads: “David, your hair looks great today.”

How did they know it was me? I don’t even own a Mini and my hair looks awful today, really.

[MINI USA’s Motorby Pilot Program, MotoringFile]