VW Puts NBA All-Stars Behind the Wheel

NBA fans will test-drive VW's Touareg, then play slots for prizes

The NBA’s All-Stars are the best on the basketball court. But how do they do on an obstacle course?

Volkswagen of America will put a handful of NBA players and celebrities to the test with a 5-on-5 Drive Challenge in Las Vegas on Feb. 16, two days before the Feb. 18 All-Star Game.

The obstacle-course challenge is part of the auto maker’s “VW i.p. (Volkswagen Important People) Experience” campaign promoting its upscale Touareg SUV. The campaign gets an extra push over All-Star weekend, with consumer test drives, spa days and prize giveaways from Feb. 16 through Feb. 18.

NBA All-Stars including LeBron James and Baron Davis will join Kenny Smith, host of TNT’s Inside the NBA, and two other celebs on the obstacle course at Las Vegas’ Fashion Show Mall. The best driver wins a donation to the charity of his choice.

After fans take a test drive, they pull the lever on a slot machine for a chance to win $1 million, or a trip to the 2008 All-Star Game in New Orleans. Smaller prizes range from iPods and Apple TVs to party tickets and gift cards from upscale retailers.

Those who take a test drive also earn a pass to the 1,000-square-foot VW i.p. Day Spa, with complimentary manicures, massages, barber services and makeovers. Celebrity DJs, including DJ Biz Markie, provide music; videogames and snacks round out the spa’s offerings.

Meanwhile, branded photo crews will snap candid and staged pictures of passers by, who then get an access card to retrieve their photos online.

PR and marketing shop ad*itive, Philadelphia, handles the VW i.p. program for VW. Picture Marketing, Inc. handles the photos.