If contests can be used to fill a job or promote a region of the world, why couldn't they launch a car? That's apparently the thinking at Nissan Canada, which recently kicked off a competition to select 50 people to win a free 2009 Nissan Cube.

Indeed, Nissan Canada's hypercube contest is a unique social media campaign to promote the company's new Cube vehicle, which launches in May. Rather than embark on yet another mass-media advertising campaign, Nissan and Capital C—its creative partner in the effort—have chosen to tap the creativity of Canadian consumers. Specifically, back in March they invited up to 1,000 Canadian musicians, DJs, dancers, programmers, designers, bloggers, podcasters, poets, writers, storytellers and artists—"anyone who considers themselves creative, hip, interesting or unique"—to explain via survey and Twitter why they should be selected to audition for one of the winning 50 spots. From that initial group the top-scoring 500 individuals were selected to audition via Facebook, Twitter and the hypercube site using photos, videos, illustrations or other media to demonstrate how they personify the Cube brand. (Current examples can be found here.) Due to wrap up in mid-May, auditions will be evaluated by a panel of independent judges based on uniqueness, creativity, personality, enthusiasm, survey responses and peer voting. Consumers can register to vote on the hypercube site, and the 50 winners of the brand-new Cube will be announced in mid-June.

Although not a contest, Ford's Fiesta Movement is similar in its attempt to leverage the power of social media by selecting a group of frontrunners. In Ford's words: "Over 4,000 people applied to test drive the Ford Fiesta on the American road long before its launch here. But only 100 were chosen to be the Agents of the Fiesta Movement. [...] Our 100 agents are spending six months behind the wheel of their own Fiesta, sharing their experiences, and completing monthly missions to show you what experiencing the Ford Fiesta is all about, way in advance of the U.S. launch in 2010."

With advertising clutter and consumer skepticism at the heights they are, it's no wonder clever marketers are turning to alternative methods to break through the din. The contests will continue to come fast and furious, we expect—why not try one out for your net-savvy brand? (Related: Scion drives into Second Life.)

Website: www.hypercube.ca
Contact: joncube@hypercube.ca

Spotted by: Stas Zlobinski

Proponents of free and open source software are already familiar with the benefits of a collaborative, sharing approach to design, and now the automotive world is getting a taste of its own thanks to a Netherlands-based effort known as c,mm,n.

Sustainable mobility is at the heart of the motivation behind c,mm,n (reportedly pronounced "common"), an initiative from Stichting Natuur en Milieu (Dutch Society for Nature and Environment) along with the technical universities of Delft, Twente and Eindhoven. Aiming to provide a model for cars in the year 2020, the first collaboratively designed prototype car was debuted recently at Amsterdam's AutoRAI 2009 car show. Boasting zero emissions, the hydrogen-powered vehicle features a lightweight (and therefore fuel-saving) thermoplastic exterior and an interior including soy-based memory foam and other recyclable materials. What its developers call a "river display," meanwhile, is said to function like an iPhone with access to a variety of information including route-planning, carpooling and efficiency-maximizing systems. The vehicle is also optimised to minimize depreciation and repairs. Materials in the body, for example, last only three years; after that, the car is designed to be taken back to the factory and rebuilt. Most paradigm-busting of all, however, is that the car's blueprints are publicly available under an open source license, so its design can be used and modified by others as long as any derived works are shared with the public as well. More than 800 people are currently involved in c,mm,n through the site's "c, mm, nity" and developer's wiki. A video on YouTube (text in Dutch) provides a computer simulation of the c,mm,n in action.

Given Generation C(ontent)'s penchant for contributing content and having a say in matters large and small, it's no surprise open source software is gaining ground. Will the same concept have "wheels" in the automotive world? Only time will tell. In the meantime, one to watch—and get involved in! (Related: Converting standard Corollas into electric cars — Open source approach to textbook publishing.)

Website: www.cmmn.org
Contact: sijas@cmmn.org

Spotted by: Paul Coppes

At 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet tall and 5.1 feet wide, the Smart fortwo is small enough to fit two vehicles into a single parking space. So why should Smart car owners have to pay full price for a half-used spot?

To encourage the use of environmentally friendly and space-saving vehicles, parking companies are starting to offer discounts. Meyers Parking, Icon Parking Systems and AviStar Airport Parking already offer half-priced parking in Manhattan for Smart fortwo owners. Now Central Parking System, in partnership with Smart USA, is joining them in offering half-price parking for Smart fortwo owners beyond Manhattan, expanding the opportunity to Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and New Jersey.

The Smart dealer network has sold more than 27,000 fortwos since January 2008, and there are about 4,000 current smart owners in the metropolitan New York market. With the customer base for small cars increasing rapidly, incentives that reward owners can add up to big business for parking companies. A perk to bring to owners of eco-friendlier cars around the world. (Related: Parking operator launches car-sharing service — Airport offers free electricity for electric cars.)

Websites: www.centralparking.com — www.smartusa.com

Spotted by: autobloggreen via Raymond Kollau

It’s the car-buying equivalent of being handed a cute puppy, knowing you can give it back if you don’t want it: Renault is hoping that once consumers spend a weekend with its new Mégane Hatch, they'll want to keep it. UK residents can log on to Renault’s extended test drive site to choose whether to try out a car for 24 hours on a weekday, or from Friday evening to Monday morning to get a real sense of ownership. To make the experience even easier, the car is delivered to and collected from test drivers' houses.

The offer is managed in partnership with Avis, who deal directly with customers and take responsibility for car deliveries. The system was initially set up to encourage busy company car drivers to test drive the Mégane. However, realising the appeal of the offer, Renault has opened it up to retail customers as well.

In tough times, getting as close as possible to consumers is a smart move, especially if you can partner with another brand to handle logistics, as Renault has done with Avis. For other generous examples of try-before-you-buy, check out the tryvertising section of trendwatching.com’s Generation G briefing.

Website: www.renault24td.co.uk
Contact: +44 (0) 845 609 0414

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau

A Dutch car insurer for women recently launched a useful new service. As soon as weather warnings are issued about conditions that could make driving hazardous, Onna-onna sends its clients a text message advising them to be extra alert or even stay off the road. The company relies on weather reports from the National Meteorological Institute, and provides the text messages free of charge to clients who have signed up for them.

Aiming to reduce the number of accidents caused by heavy winds, icy roads and severe thunderstorms, the warning service is part of Onna-onna's wider efforts to promote road safety. Which isn't a purely philanthropic gesture, of course—lower accident rates are good for any insurer's bottom line. Onna-onna is planning to trial the service for a year before evaluating and potentially adding other SMS-based perks.

For companies trying to build their brand and forge meaningful relationships with their customers, text messages offer a relatively inexpensive way to keep in touch. And a powerful one, if used to share information that's both relevant and useful. What would your customers like to hear from your brand, in 160 characters or less?

Website: www.onna-onna.nl
Contact: www.onna-onna.nl/klantenservice/contact