Audi Takes Amazon Shoppers On Unforgettable Test Drive

The automaker wants to revolutionize how we test drive cars.

Amazon is continually revolutionizing the way we shop, and now Audi has attempted to revolutionize how we test drive cars. While most dealership test drives encompass a small mundane route, Audi partnered with Amazon Go to take shoppers on a “test drive into the unknown” using the new technologically advanced 2019 A6 sedan.

Amazon Go stores use advanced technology that allows shoppers to pick up their items and leave the store without having to wait in line at a checkout as sensors detect the items. Audi filled shelves inside an Amazon Go store with key boxes, inviting shoppers to “trade their time for a test drive” in the 2019 A6 without having to visit a dealership or talk to a pushy salesperson. In return, the automaker promised the participants to give them more than they “ever expected.”

More than 100 drivers responded to Audi’s invitation. Each driver was taken on a 30-minute route to an unknown destination and activity. The surprises included a private symphony concert, a painting workshop, and an “epic” public photo session. The drivers were then asked if they wanted to continue their trip into the unknown and went on even longer three-hour drives.

To reward them for their time, Audi treated one lucky participant with a flying lesson in a helicopter above the city. Amazingly, another person willing to drop everything was flown over to Audi’s headquarters in Munich, Germany, for a five-day luxury trip, where they were given a tour of the headquarters and were able to take the A6 for a drive on the Autobahn.

It’s a very clever and innovative advertising campaign, and these unconventional test drives are apparently a sneak peek at what Audi plans to incorporate into its branding and marketing in the future, with the aim to reach buyers in new ways.

"As a brand rooted in innovation and pushing boundaries, we at Audi wanted to break category paradigms for what a test drive could be,” Loren Angelo, vice president, Marketing, Audi of America. “Locating our test drive at Amazon Go allowed us to experiment with a new kind of retail environment while transforming the test drive into an adventure. In doing so, customers were able to have a one-of-a-kind experience and make a car purchasing decision at a time and place that may be more convenient to them.”