Saturn unveiled three new vehicles Tuesday night on a 60-foot high platform perched above New York City’s Hard Rock Café in Times Square. The event was timed to complement the brand’s participation in the New York International Automobile Show, which kicks off Friday, as well as other events it plans in the Big Apple.
The event drew an estimated 20,000 spectators and included high-profile guests who were treated to a surprise musical performance by Camp Freddy, a collaboration of Dave Navarro, Matt Sorum, Billy Morrison, Chris Chaney and Scott Weiland.
Saturn, a GM division, debuted the Aura midsize sedan, Sky Red Line performance roadster and Outlook, a crossover SUV.
“We wanted to do something unique, surprising and non-typical to catch people’s attention who might not be looking for something from Saturn,” said Saturn spokesperson Mike Morrissey.
Guests such as Lindsay Lohan, Drea de Matteo, Estella Warren, Michelle Trachtenberg, Eriq La Salle and the New York Giants’ Tiki Barber attended the event. They were then invited inside the Hard Rock Café for an exclusive two-hour concert hosted by Run DMC’s Darryl “DMC” McDaniels. Moby, Gina Gershon, Shooter Jennings, Jerry Cantrell, Fuel’s Brett Scallions and Duff McKagan joined the band on stage and Saturn made a $40,000 donation to the DKMS, a bone marrow organization for which McDaniels is the spokesperson.
The automaker plans to unleash a new ad tag line “Like always. Like never before” next month and will double its product portfolio within 24 months.
“We’re communicating to the world that things are changing at Saturn…and we’re bringing incredible designs that are really going to shake up people’s perception of Saturn,” Morrissey said.
Saturn also plans to promote the vehicles through its sponsorship of the Tribeca Film Festival and The Green Apple Music Festival, which both begin this month in New York City. The Saturn vehicles will be placed around the events.
“The Saturn presence in New York will be hard to miss…because we didn’t just want to do one event in New York and then leave,” Morrissey said. “We wanted to have a series of events so we can build momentum.”
LA-based BNC handled the Hard Rock Café event.
Ads on New York City billboards will support Saturn’s upcoming promotions.
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