Aprilia USA's New Marketing Campaign Connects Riders with Brand's Heart, Soul and Racing DNA

NEW YORK, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Aprilia USA, the North American subsidiary of the Piaggio Group's Aprilia brand, the Italian motorcycle manufacturer with more racing championships than any other European brand, is taking American moto enthusiasts for a memorable ride - both virtually and in real time. The company is launching a national multi-media campaign that invites riders to get more familiar with the brand and its award-winning sportbikes through real customer experiences, online trivia with user rewards, action-packed videos, an infographic featuring company "firsts" and other race wins, and a test ride tour featuring the new Aprilia Tuono V4 APRC, the fastest naked sportbike in its category. The campaign debuts with a new microsite, www.apriliamasters.com and Facebook app at www.facebook.com/ApriliaAmericas.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/55177-aprilia-usa-marketing-campaign-connects-riders-with-brand-heart-soul-dna

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120320/MM72053 )

"To ride an Aprilia motorcycle is to fully understand what it is like to take race-proven technology, power and design and apply it to street bikes," said Melissa R. MacCaull, Vice President, Marketing.  "We created a campaign that features riders of competitor brands speaking freely about their Aprilia experience. Their opinions, along with other digital and social elements, are designed to engage and inform visitors about our brand in visually impactful ways."

New Microsite Showcases Aprilia Firsts and Rewards Visitors for High "Aprilia IQ"

To show what sets Aprilia apart, the company created www.apriliamasters.com, a new microsite that engages users in multiple ways and educates visitors about the brand's superior technology, design and racing heritage.  The microsite content includes:

• Rider experiences, filmed, of course, at the race track. Aprilia invited seasoned men and women riders who have a passion for riding and own multiple brands to Willow Springs, CA to experience – then share – their opinions about the latest Aprilia bikes;
• Rider experience videos featuring the new Aprilia Tuono V4 APRC, RSV4 R APRC, Shiver 750 and Dorsoduro 1200;
• An infographic that delivers all of Aprilia's "firsts" – such as its current World Superbike speed record, its ground-breaking 65-degree V4 engine design and Aprilia Performance Ride Control (APRC) racing electronics technology;
• A trivia quiz that tests visitor's Aprilia IQ and lets participants earn a series of badges, plus invite friends to compete;
• Fifty opportunities to win a coveted Aprilia SBK shirt;
• Link to a brand-new Aprilia Americas Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ApriliaAmericas.

To support the campaign, Aprilia will also launch a targeted digital campaign, including Google, Facebook and YouTube media.

The Keys to Adrenaline Rush: Riders, Meet the New Aprilia Tuono V4 APRC

Aprilia is taking a fresh approach to test rides as well. The company is sending individual Aprilia Tuono V4 APRC motorcycles to multiple dealers in every part of the country, from the southeast to the northwest, over the course of a three-month period.  Participating Aprilia dealers will have a Tuono V4 for about a two-week period to conduct as many test rides as possible.  For a complete list of dates and locations, visit www.apriliamasters.com.

About The Piaggio Group: 

Established in 1884 by Rinaldo Piaggio and based in Pontedera in Pisa, Italy, the Piaggio Group is one of the world's top manufacturers of two-wheel motor vehicles. With more than 7,000 employees, an annual production of 653,000 vehicles in 2011, five R&D centers, seven production facilities in Europe and Asia and world-wide commercial operations, the Piaggio Group has a strong  and increasing leadership in the European two-wheeler market.  The company produces scooters, motorcycles and mopeds in the 50cc to 1,200cc displacement range, marketed under the Piaggio, Vespa, Gilera, Derbi, Aprilia, Scarabeo and Moto Guzzi brands.  The Group also manufactures three- and four-wheel light transportation vehicles for the Ape, Porter and Quargo ranges.

SOURCE Aprilia USA