Ferrari contest asks fans to live fast for Grand Prix tickets

Italian automaker Ferrari is tapping into the growing excitement surrounding its 2014 racing season with a contest that asks fans to post videos of speedy actions.

The "Speed Lab" contest asks fans through the beginning of March to go as fast as possible while doing everyday tasks such as watering a plant, making a bed or tying a shoelace. The submitted video that receives the most likes will win the entrant tickets to Grand Prix races.

"The contest embodies speed and high performance," said Raquel V. Cadourcy, vice president of business development and strategic accounts at HelloWorld, New York. "Ferrari has been doing a lot in the promotions and social space to engage with its audience lately.

"This contest is just another example as it ties in well with the other initiatives we have seen from them in the past six months," she said.

"Contests are always harder because of the larger barrier to entry, especially when talking about video submissions. This one in particular though is engaging and creates an even higher level of competition."

Ms. Cadourcy is not affiliated with Ferrari, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.

Ferrari did not respond by press deadline. The contest was created in conjunction with Antivirus company Kaspersky Lab.

Three, two, one

Since it would be too narrow, and potentially dangerous, of a contest to ask fans to go fast in their Ferrari, the automaker is calling for submissions of everyday tasks done especially fast.

Ferrari will create six episodes where mechanics and other team members do tasks as fast as possible.

Ferrari's Speed Lab Episode 1

In the three brief clips available, employees are seen fastening seat belts, arranging tools in order of size and passing through a car one door at a time.

Ferrari's Speed Lab Episode 2

The simple and playful nature of the videos may inspire fans to record multiple videos as they go through their day, since judgment will not be harsh.

Ferrari's Speed Lab Episode 3

Six fan videos have been posted as of press time on the contest's YouTube Channel.

Fan submissions range from applying makeup to folding a t-shirt.

Ferrari Speed Lab, fan submission

Votes are still being counted, but the current favorite shows friends slurping a cola as fast as possible with multiple straws.

Ferrari Speed Lab, fan submission

The first place winner will receive 2 tickets to a Ferrari Grand Prix race. The second and third place winners receive free Internet protection from Kaspersky.

Cast your vote

Ferrari has enacted similar contests for brand enthusiasts.

The brand kept a contest as open-ended as possible by asking fans to showcase their passion for the brand.

Ferrari's Snap your Passion contest garnered photos that show how the automaker has branded fan lives in some way, whether through a vehicle, clothing or a tapestry, thus turning the entrants into brand advocates. Although the contest did not present much in the way of originality, it affirmed the notion that many fans just want to connect with their favorite brands on a regular basis (see story).

Other automakers have enacted similarly inclusive contests.

For instance, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars familiarized fans with the scope of its bespoke services through an Instagram contest that asked fans to submit pictures of vibrant colors that would look good on Rolls-Royce vehicles.

The “#RollsRoyceInColour” campaign aimed to instill in consumers the idea that Rolls-Royce vehicles are commissioned rather than bought (see story).

Since contests do have a higher barrier of entry than other campaigns, stacking incentives helps to spur consumers.

"[The contest] will likely encourage this specific target audience of Ferrari enthusiasts, who thrive on competition, to be particularly engaged," Ms. Cadourcy said. "I wouldn't typically recommend a video contest unless the brand's objective is 100 percent pure engagement with the audience, however this appears to be the case here.

"Additionally, the prize is relevant and attractive," she said. "One recommendation is to take it a step further and offer an exclusive and personalized Ferrari experience while attending the racing events.

"Last, in order to encourage more people to participate, who may not want to submit a video, is to offer a smaller sweepstakes prize for those that visit the promotion to vote on their favorite. This broadens the reach of the campaign while also encouraging those who submitted a video to get their friends and family involved."

Final Take
Joe McCarthy, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York