Tapping into the growing Second Life phenomenon, GM (GM) Pontiac has bought up a 96-acre section of the world to attempt to create a "car culture" on the island. They are attempting to build a community built around car fans. With the Second Life world reaching over a million now, corporations are starting to take notice.
"Right now there isn't a car culture in Second Life, but we know there's a huge car culture with human beings," said Tor Myhren, executive creative director at Leo Burnett in Detroit, Pontiac's ad agency. "Certainly there's going to be one there and we want to be part of it."
Myhren added that they are not just going to try to present the brand out there on the island, but rather want to allow visitors to unveil their creations. They are making sure that they give control to the users, offering them the ability to customize their cars any way they want to.
A concept sketch of Motorati Island
Pontiac will be soliciting proposals from the Second Life population to find out how they want to create the "Car Culture" on the island.
Whether this works or not, I like what they're doing. If nothing else it will help them to understand the underlying trend of the real world to want to be more empowered in the decision-making process of the product they're looking at buying.
To work behind the scenes to give users the tools to create the type of experience they want gives GM a real possibility that this will really work for them. It could also be used as a great training tool.
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