• by Karl Greenberg , July 28, 2010

Mazda is taking to social media to launch its latest vehicle, Mazda 2. This week the company launches a branded social game on Facebook, "DriverVille" via Doner, which actually no longer has the account. The effort is a virtual multi-player game where players get customizable "Your Inner Driver" avatars and use them to drive virtual cars to win Driver Bucks for virtual products and real weekly sweepstakes prizes. Within the platform are mini-games such as racing at a digital version of the Mazda Raceway at (the real one's in Laguna Seca, CA) and things like a quest to get snow tires, a snowboard and accessory roof rack in order to go snowboarding.

The company says it will support the game with ads, and that the game is part of an integrated campaign that includes TV, cinema ads, online lifestyle/engagement sites, print, customer relationship marketing, a music tour and MazdaUSA.com.

"Since young drivers already live on Facebook, the logical place to start was to develop a virtual world called DriverVille," said Justin Smith, executive VP-executive creative director-interactive of Doner in a release. "There, they can experience the MAZDA2 through play, express themselves by pitting their unique Inner Drivers against others' in all manner of entertaining ways, and then share the stories they've built. Our brand socializing system radiates outward from DriverVille by distributing content through other social networks, live events, music, cinema, and content integration on leading video and passion point-oriented properties in gaming, music and fashion."