Pontiac wanted to try something completely different with MySpace – give MySpacers the power to band together and get better deals on everything from cars to cameras. The MySpace community is 94,000,000 strong. FWB works on the simple idea that a community that large can get a great deal on anything they want. Pontiac kicked it off by offering up to $1,000 to MySpacers who buy a Pontiac G5. But MySpacers can also vote on what other products they want a good deal on next. Soon other companies will be offering deals to the community on laptops, cameras and HDTVs.

Playing to the Pontiac G5’s positioning as a digital car for the digital world, the G5 was introduced with an all-digital media plan. A presence on MySpace was a must. But it couldn’t be just another profile. Pontiac launched something bigger - the Friends with Benefits movement featuring the Pontiac G5. FWB was designed for MySpace and lives exclusively on MySpace. FWB Banners and video units on MySpace draw users to the FWB page. Extending the reach, “Friends” of FWB can customize their own profile with viral elements available from the FWB page. Downloads include banners, thumb commenters and iron-on T-Shirts.

Pontiac is in the process of repositioning itself as a modern performance brand for a younger, more progressive consumer. Critical to this objective is selecting marketing programmes that make Pontiac more socially relevant and engage consumers who typically wouldn’t normally consider the brand. FWB uniquely introduces MySpace members to the Pontiac G5 by offering exclusive benefits to the entire community. Within the first month the FWB profile generated over 12,000 friends. The initial G5 registrations on the FWB profile exceeded the first month sales projections for the number of MySpace members in-market for a small coupe.