Maserati Coast to Coast in New York
Italian automaker Maserati is meditating on its Quattroporte model with an extensive coast-to-coast video series.
Tapping into the popular YouTube genre of cars accomplishing difficult tasks, the video series shows the vehicle driving through various terrains, sometimes racing a helicopter, and new episodes come out every few weeks. While the brand is occupied with centennial celebrations and pushing its entry-level Ghibli model, the video series may appeal to serious brand loyalists.
"When Maserati introduced the Maserati back into the U.S. in 2004, a brand new car was driven from California to New York, partnering with Road & Track, to demonstrate the capability and comfort of our new flagship," said Jeffrey Ehoodin, public relations manager at Maserati North America, New York.
"This past trip was organized by Maserati SpA, in order to demonstrate the same qualities, this time starting from the East Coast to the West," he said.
"The Quattroporte was able to provide comfort for long stretches, and high performance in areas such as the Rocky Mountain range, where the excellent balance and handling came into play."
Passing the baton
The video series is helmed by the car journalist Akis Temperidis, and he is accompanied by a crew of three other members.
All of the videos are one to two-minutes long, enabling a late-arriving fan to zip through the entire series.
The team began the series driving through the streets of New York, where Mr. Temperidis explains that the team is trying to make it to San Francisco. The languidly-paced opener shows the Quattroporte reaching high speeds and the collage-like style indicates that the crew is searching for the right way to pace the series.
Maserati Coast to Coast - Ep. 01 - New York
Eleven successive episodes have been released, including stops in Lancaster, NY; Indianapolis; Chicago; St. Louis; Kansas City; Colorado; Wendover, NV; Salt Lake City; Arches National Park, UT; The Four Corners, NM; and Arizona.
Throughout the episodes, Mr. Temperidis explains the goals of the team and expresses his interest in the current location, which makes the series seem like a travelogue rather than a showcase of a powerful vehicle.
Maserati Coast to Coast - Ep. 04 - Chicago
The most recent episode shows the car driving through Arizona as a helicopter follows from above.
Maserati Coast to Coast - Ep. 12 - To Arizona
"They're going through the motions, but there's no emotion or a sense of adventure," said Bob Prosser, CEO of Auto World Marketing Corp., San Diego. "It leaves me flat, and very importantly, unmotivated to share with others.
"It needs more character development," he said. "More opinion about the car and how it can wonderfully take you over varied pieces of US highway and side roads to enjoy America in an Italian car.
"How about some colorful locals along the way? Maybe a few neat places off the beaten path to eat and spend the night? Show that the car often draws a crowd, where the presenter asks their opinion of the car? It also needs more engine sound and camera angles to make me feel I am there and less dramatic soundtrack and the same cliché angles and B-roll.
"In my opinion, the producer needs someone with more character and perhaps someone who comes across as a little more like a typical American buyer of high-end luxury cars. And last but not least, he is often alone and who likes to take road trips alone? There should be a female passenger who gives her opinion along the way to give a woman's' point of view and to add a little glamour."
Momentous time
Maserati has entered 2014 with a ambitious initiatives.
For instance, the brand commenced its 2014 centennial celebrations with a microsite that acquaints fans with the brand’s history.
A series of events and digital content will systematically emerge over the next several months to keep the celebratory mood alive. Centennial celebrations not only induct brands into hallowed territory, but they allow for widespread transformations to occur (see story).
One facet of that transformation came in the form of its entry-level Ghibli model.
The brand reinforced its commitment to the North American market during the Super Bowl with its first television commercial.
The commercial promotes the Ghibli model, the brand’s first under $100,000 vehicle, evincing a movement toward inclusivity. Also, the commercial’s cinematic nature featuring actress Quvenzhane Wallis aligned with the brand’s image during an occasion that often has less to do with reputation building than with conversation shaping (see story).
As with the previous Quattroporte tour, the current tour crosses paths with many landmarks.
"Landmarks such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were visited, as Maserati is the only Italian manufacturer to win the Indy 500, in fact back to back in 1939 and 1940," Mr. Ehoodin said.
Final Take
Joe McCarthy, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York