"Snap up a Saab"

CLEVELAND, Oct. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Bernie Moreno, President of Collection Auto Group, is excited to reintroduce the Saab brand with a unique and innovative campaign, "Snap up a Saab" that kicks off Sunday, October 30 at Saab of North Olmsted, 28595 Lorain Road.

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. one hundred pre-selected drivers will get registered and assigned to a vehicle.  At 11:00 a.m. the 100 drivers will pull away en masse from the dealership in various makes and models of all-new Saab vehicles that have been labeled with a QR code, one exterior and one interior. The contestants will be driving around Northeast Ohio for a week, accumulating points by having the general public scan the codes using their Smartphones.

The contest will run for four consecutive weeks. Every Sunday from October 30 until November 20, 100 new pre-selected drivers (400 drivers in total) will leave Saab of North Olmsted in a designated Saab vehicle and drive around Northeast Ohio, returning it the following Saturday. During that week, their goal is to collect as many points as possible.

Each driver will have their own contestant site, which was created by Collection Auto Group and Whisteo, a local software developer. This savvy Internet platform site is where drivers will promote their participation and track their points via fans, scans, media and check-ins at various locations throughout Northeast Ohio.

"We are expecting that this campaign will not only tap into the passion of the Saab enthusiasts, but it will allow consumers of every age an opportunity to see that the new Saab brand is an affordable luxury, that's sleek and stylish," said Bernie Moreno.

"All Saabs offer a unique combination of Scandinavian design, safety, performance and utility.  Above all, Saab puts the driver at the center of the design. We always say if you drive one, you'll want one," said Tim Colbeck, President & COO, Saab Cars North America. "The North Olmsted Saab Experience is a creative and innovative way to show off our product range to our contestants and to their social networks. It's a very cool initiative by Bernie and the Team at Saab of North Olmsted."

The top six contestants that win the most points in each of the four weeks will move on to the semi-final round. During the semi-final round, which will run from 12:01 am Saturday, November, 26 until 11:59 pm Sunday, November 27, each of the 24 semi-finalists will accumulate as many votes as possible by having fans and friends vote for them on their contestant site. The five semi-finalists that receive the most votes will move on to the final round, which will be held on December 1 at Saab of North Olmsted, where they have the chance to win the grand prize – a brand new Saab vehicle of their choice, valued up to $50,000.

There are six corporate sponsors of the contest. The platinum sponsor is Dunkin' Donuts, the two gold sponsors are Yours Truly Restaurants and Suburban Collision Centers, and the silver sponsors are Alson Jewelers, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Adesso Fashion for Men and Kilgore Trout.

Every sponsor will have a QR code at each of his or her Northeast Ohio locations. When the QR code on one of the contest vehicles is scanned, the scanner will be shown at the nearest sponsor locations. When they visit one of those locations, they scan the QR code there and receive a special offer, which can be activated by voting for the sponsor favorite.

While the campaign was designed to generate excitement for Saab, the benefits of the campaign will also help raise awareness for the local start up company, Whisteo, the brains behind the software program.  It will also provide dozens of people an opportunity for part-time, temporary employment that could potentially lead to permanent positions.

About Whisteo

Whisteo is a web-based software design company that specifically meets the needs of its customers who are seeking to increase reach, awareness and engagement using social promotions. Unlike other vendors, Whisteo provides support to enable brands to easily and affordably set up contests and promotions, manage ongoing engagements, and monitor social activity to optimize campaign performance. Whisteo's technology turns consumers into social marketers.

About Collection Auto Group

Collection Auto Group is a privately-owned business composed of multiple automotive dealerships and an on-site performance center.  Bernie Moreno started Collection Auto Group in 2005 with the purchase of the Mercedes-Benz dealership in North Olmsted, Ohio. Over the next 6 years he added Porsche, AMG, North Olmsted Performance, Lotus, Saab, Fisker, Sprinter, Acura, Infiniti, Buick, GMC, MV1, and smart.

Collection Auto Group has been recognized for many of their achievements in the automotive industry since opening in 2005, including:  Mercedes-Benz "Best of the Best" Award 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010;  #1 volume Mercedes-Benz Dealership in the Central United States in 2006 through 2010; #1 volume McLaren SLR dealer in the world; #1 volume Porsche dealer in Ohio; First "Autohaus" designed Mercedes-Benz dealership in North America; #1 volume Saab dealership in America; and #1 Lotus dealer in Ohio; #1 Infiniti dealer in Ohio; #1 Acura dealer in Ohio; and #1 Buick dealer in Ohio.

SOURCE Collection Auto Group