Absa x cars.co.za Car-aoke

Reimagining test drives through music and digital participation

A multi-platform campaign that invited South Africans to test drive their dream car — and amplify their voice — by combining local music nostalgia with seamless digital engagement and community-driven content.

 

The challenge was to engage users, capture qualified leads, and build brand relevance through culture.

We responded by turning a traditionally transactional process — registering for a test drive — into an expressive, mobile-first experience rooted in local music and digital participation.
Through a custom microsite and integrated TikTok activation, users were invited to sing, share, and connect — transforming brand engagement into performance-driven storytelling.

The campaign was designed for ease of use and mobile-first behaviour:

  • Step 1: Register via a responsive microsite

  • Step 2: Select a featured track from the curated shortlist

  • Step 3: Record a karaoke-style performance

  • Step 4: Publish to TikTok with the official campaign tag for verification

Car-aoke successfully reframed a conventional lead-generation campaign into a culturally resonant experience.

The activation sparked widespread participation, authentic content creation, and positive brand sentiment — reinforcing Absa and Cars.co.za as innovative, emotionally attuned market leaders.
By combining digital accessibility with local musical heritage, the campaign deepened audience connection and elevated brand visibility across platforms.

Mia Pienaar
Mia PienaarBusiness Unit Director at Playmakers Sponsorship and Marketing
Working with Inner Reality on the Absa Car-aoke campaign was a fantastic experience for us at Playmakers. Their innovative platform allowed us to bring this unique concept to life, delivering a fun and engaging user journey that truly resonated with Absa’s audience. From the initial digital sign-up to the on-site Car-aoke experience, every step was seamless, enabling us to capture valuable data while keeping participants excited and involved. One of the biggest highlights was how quickly and effectively the IR team adapted the platform to our needs—whether it was fine-tuning the user flow or adding new brand elements, they were always proactive and collaborative. The result was a fully branded Absa Car-aoke experience that exceeded our expectations, both in terms of engagement and overall impact. We couldn’t have asked for a better tech partner and look forward to working with Inner Reality on future initiatives.

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