If gaining customer loyalty involves providing a very unique customer experience, then Ford Motor Company is certainly on the road to success, given its latest partnership with Escape the Room.
Ford has teamed up with the popular experiential game Escape the Room to create the ultimate game experience: The first-ever driveable game that will challenge participants to use the latest technology and features of the 2017 Ford Escape to figure out clues and solve puzzles in a way that’s never been done before.
The game was designed in collaboration with New York State’s I LOVE NEW YORK campaign, creator, and visionary puzzle master Victor Blake. Players will attempt to escape multiple rooms in one of New York’s most iconic buildings – Moynihan Station. Escape NYC: An Escape the Room Driving Experience takes place June 23-26.
“Younger, urban consumers today want to live through experiences and engage with brands that represent their lifestyle,” said Ginger Kasanic, Ford experiential marketing manager. “They are voracious consumers of life – they’re not spectators, they’re participants. Escape the Room NYC can be summed up as the experience economy trend putting a unique spin on the traditional test drive.”
Escape the Room NYC will comprise 35,000 square feet.
“Ford asked if I’d be up for integrating the new Escape into an Escape the Room game, and the end result is unlike anything I’ve created before,” said Blake. “The SUV is packed with tons of advanced technology, and it was an entertaining exercise to integrate things like ultrasonic parking sensors into the puzzles and clues that are iconic to the game.”
At the landmark Moynihan Station, players will find themselves immersed in the hidden treasures of summertime in New York as they navigate the quintessential path of going from humble beginnings to making it big in the film industry. An expansive, five-room play space prompts participants to find clues that will guide their journey using various technological tools available in the new Ford Escape, and their own wits.
Some of the in-vehicle technologies integrated into the game:
-Digital music and streaming radio from iHeartRadio via SYNC® AppLink™
-Voice-to-text capabilities of SYNC 3 driver connect system
-Remote start and remote lock capabilities of SYNC Connect, via FordPass™
-Premium audio system from Sony® with Clear Phase™ and Live Acoustics™
-Enhanced active park assist
-Adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support
-Rearview camera
-Seven-color ambient lighting
-Hands-free, foot-activated liftgate
Players are sworn to secrecy to ensure the game is fresh for everyone and nobody has an advantage. Throughout the game, players will discover a whole new side of New York State, and themselves.
The game, open to the public for four days, saw just more than 1,000 consumers sign up in less than 24 hours. Although pre-registration is sold out, walk-in spots will be available each day.
“We’re constantly looking for new ways to connect with consumers and teaming up with Escape the Room allowed us to create a unique and unexpected experience to introduce our new Ford Escape and our technologies,” said Kasanic.
Starting with one game played in New York City in October of 2013, Escape the Room has grown into what is now known as the premier live game and entertainment company in the United States. Developed by an all-star team of puzzle designers, theme park engineers and set designers, Escape the Room creates interactive, immersive games rooted in hyper-realistic scenarios with state of the art technology that sets the bar for experiential entertainment. With dozens of “rooms” in multiple cities across the country, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Scottsdale, St. Louis, and Washington, DC, Escape the Room brings gaming into the real world.