How Audi Blazed New Trails in the Digital World

HERNDON, VA - Who else would embrace a faster and more mobile world than an innovative automaker with a knack for designing champion race cars? The convergence of a pioneering spirit at Audi with the ever-evolving digital world has changed the way the auto industry views new media, mobile technology and has led to millions of downloads along the way.

Being first and creative to this frontier gave Audi a big edge that has allowed it to stand out even as competition for downloads has grown dramatically more intense. Audi now vies for the attention of iPhone users with the likes of EA Sports and other well-established game developers.

Leading by example, Audi became the first auto manufacturer to launch a video podcast channel on iTunes back in February of 2007, along with technology tutorials that were made specifically for the iPod.  With over 2 million video podcast downloads, and the launch of the technology iPod tutorials, Audi has truly been the pioneer in leveraging the iPod and iTunes, allowing users to learn about their car's technology from the driver's seat - creating a true hands on and interactive experience. 

Audi went on to launch the groundbreaking Audi A4 Driving Challenge application, placing the brand as the first auto brand to launch an application for the iPhone.  The results were exceptional. The game received Top 10 "Game of the Year" honors from Apple and earned millions of blog and social media mentions, as well as over 3.35 million downloads to date.

As other luxury brands began to enter this new media market, Audi introduced another auto industry first this past March when it released its Le Mans documentary film, Truth in 24, exclusively on iTunes. In support of the film, Audi developed and launched a new application, Truth in 24. The game puts the excitement of Le Mans racing right into the hands of users with a realistic Le Mans course, opposing racecars and strategic pit stop decisions in a 3D environment. The Truth in 24 application reached 467,000-plus downloads in only one month and is also the first application to be released exclusively along with a movie within the iTunes store.