15 Aug 2008 New York Times
Vampires Are Coming, But Only After Months Of Warning
In advertising circles, Campfire is well known for its role in Audi's "Art of the H3ist," a 2005 campaign that set a new standard for alternate reality games (A.R.G.'s). In conjunction with the now-independent McKinney (which at the time was part of Havas), Campfire staged a theft of an Audi A3 from a Manhattan showroom, then put on a fake international manhunt for the thieves.
Consumers were invited not just to solve the mystery, but also to become characters in the campaign, which appeared on TV, the Internet, billboards, and also included live events. People who followed along found themselves immersed in a meticulously plotted and executed reality game – one in which they happened to learn nearly everything about the Audi A3.
"It's just a very cool new way to do marketing," said Ty Montague, chief creative officer at WPP Group's JWT. "Any time you can make the marketing literally an entertainment experience, you're a step ahead."