Citroen has announced it has teamed up with Facebook, where members of the social network can have a hand in designing a new special edition C1 car, which will go on sale later this year.
The promotion has been given the tagline “You like it. We make it” and a Facebook app has been built so you can help spec the new model, which will be named the C1 Connexion.
A group of egg-shaped robots guide you through the process, but rather than give the full Homer Simpson experience, your stylistic decisions are limited to body and trim color, number of doors and a choice of either alloy wheels, satellite navigation or Bluetooth connectivity.
Each completed car is counted as a vote, and the car with the most votes will go into production. Citroen will also giveaway a finished C1 Connexion to one lucky person too.
Citroen has called the promotion “crowd-sourcing in action,” and a Facebook spokesperson applauded the company’s efforts to tightly integrate its marketing campaign with the complete Facebook experience.
The right social network?
If you’re not familiar with the Citroen C1, it’s one of three cars to come from a partnership between Citroen, Peugeot and Toyota, the other two models being the Peugeot 107 and the Toyota Aygo.
It’s a city car that’s popular with young drivers, thanks to its funky looks, low running costs and cheap insurance. In the UK, it costs around £7,995, or $12,700.
In an info-graphic created by onlineMBA.com, it shows 18-percent of Facebook’s members being between 25 and 34 years-old, and 14-percent up to 24 years-old.
According to Facebook’s own statistics, it has 845 million registered users, so 18-percent equates to just over 152 million people, and if we refine this down to just Europe (the C1’s primary market) it looks like the campaign will reach a healthy 38 million people.
Citroen’s Connexion Facebook page has already received more than 80,000 Likes, and as the competition runs until 30 April, it’s sure to attract plenty more.
This is the Internet
So, is it a good idea to let the general public, or in this case, the Internet, loose on a car you’ve promised to put into production?
While nothing too ridiculous can be done to the little C1, some fairly garish color combinations can be selected, so a concerted effort by some online wags could ensure Citroen’s C1 Connexion is blue with pink trim.
The figures may look good, but we hope Citroen is prepared for the eventuality it may have to make a car nobody wants to buy.
