Brands Beyond the Page Like: Toyota, Heinz, Universal Pictures

Last week three big brands released innovative Facebook campaigns that demonstrate how traditional brand marketers are moving beyond the Page Like in their advertising efforts on the social network.

With these campaigns being developed through their respective ad agencies, it was fitting that STRATA also released their quarterly report last week, showing that 89% of ad agencies use Facebook in their campaigns (a 10% increase from Q2).

Toyota’s ‘Social Network Racer’

Toyota has created a branded Facebook arcade-style racing game in anticipation their new sports car model, to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in December. The App creates a customized course in the shape of your first name, pulling in photos and other profile information to populate billboards alongside the course. Players can “test drive” the new Toyota model, challenging their friends in track times, successfully creating both a personalized and social in-game experience. Players are competing globally in in an effort to be awarded a grand prize trip to Japan or receive an exclusive painting of the car created by the concept car’s designer.

According to Adverblog, Japanese ad agency Party is behind this social game.