• Promo, Friday, August 25, 2006 12:16 PM

The Minis are coming! The Minis are coming! In a new promotion designed to herald the launch of a new model of the popular small car, more than 3,300 Mini owners are participating in a two-week, cross-country road trip. Dubbed the Mini Takes the States rally, the trip will take drivers--who pay their own way--3,123 miles through 19 states, from Monterey Beach, CA to the Lime Rock Vintage Festival in Connecticut. The brand is using the trip to fuel brand ambassadorship and tout the arrival of 415 Mini GPs (a limited-edition high-performance version of its Mini Cooper S) in the country. Forty-two owners who ordered the car agreed to pick them up during the rally (32 where the rally kicked off in Monterey, CA, and 10 when the road trip arrives in New Jersey). Along the route, drivers will participate in free Mini-branded events, such as tailgate parties, open-air music festivals and more--all open to Mini owners and enthusiasts. "It's a way for us to connect with our owners and build brand loyalty by allowing these people to become ambassadors for the brand," Mini spokesperson Andrew Cutler said. "They are the brand experts and the ones at parties that tell their friends 'hey, check Minis out, it's cool stuff.' That's a level of authenticity that...you may not necessarily get with a print ad."

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