Dive Brief:

• Automaker Alfa Romeo launched a new campaign, "Soundtrack," for its Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Giulia Quadrifoglio models that includes a 3D gaming and musical experience created with Unity Technologies, according to a news release.
• The Alfa Romeo Experience is available across desktop, mobile and tablets, and resembles a video game where users can drive one of the Alfa Romeo vehicles and hit logos that produce notes in the melody for Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." The "Soundtrack" campaign will run on TV, digital and social media. The TV commercial, "The Next Level of Joy," which will air during March Madness, features a reimagining of "Ode to Joy."
• Alfa Romeo also created a 90-second video, "The New Sound of Joy," that puts the two vehicle models to the test on the real-life race track the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, which acts as a giant musical instrument with cars hitting musical logos to produce the "Ode to Joy" melody, similar to the how consumer game works. The company also released a behind-the-scenes video of the making of the film.

Dive Insight:

Alfa Romeo takes advantage of two digital marketing trends — gaming and music — and combines them in a unique way with its "Soundtrack" campaign. The cross-platform campaign, 3D video game and film are creative elements that the automaker likely hopes will resonate with younger consumers, who are more likely to engage with digital experiences than more traditional ad formats. Millennials, more than other generations, research buying cars online and show an interest in luxury auto brands, according to a Quantcast study cited by MediaPost.

From P&G's Olay turning its music videos into a Broadway show to Mastercard releasing a sonic brand identity, audio is popular with marketers right now as a way to grab the attention of distracted consumers across channels. At the same time, gaming continues to grow and extend its reach across demographics.

Automakers often incorporate strong visuals in their campaigns to show off the features of vehicle models and appeal to viewers' senses. Alfa Romeo's new campaign follows this trend. Auto brands are also more likely to embrace data-driven, interactive and mobile video in their marketing than other industries. This has led to a 14% growth in interactive video impressions, with most coming from overlay, or a click-through graphic or animation on top of a standard video that brings viewers to brand content or websites, according to Innovid research.

Brands continue to experiment with different video formats, and films and content series are becoming go-to strategies as marketers attempt to set their brands apart. Alfa Romeo is the latest luxury automaker to debut a highly produced video campaign. Another high-end brand, Mercedes-Benz, debuted a four-minute film for International Women's Day this month. The film tells the story of Bertha Benz, the wife and business partner of the brand's founder Carl Benz.