Brilliance.
That is exactly the term that comes to mind when you think of the ploy that the marketing team at Prestige pulled off when they hosted their second installment of the #PrestigeWarehouse. They assembled a motley crew of photographers, videographers and bloggers (a group in which I certainly associate myself with) to ascend on their warehouse filled with automotive awesomeness. They fed us a catered breakfast and let us fall over ourselves as we struggled to capture our own interpretations of the fabled perfect shot.
It is in my humble opinion that this BMW 3.0 CSL should have had a better seat at the proverbial table, maybe even usurping the head from the Huracán LP 580-2.
Then, they dangled opportunity in front of us in the form of printed fame and further exclusive access and beguiled us to submit our work under the guise of being entered into their contests. Stewards of our own fate we became. Hashtag we did. And a deluge of free exposure and promotional material rained down upon Prestige's social media team.
Here we have the head of security, looking as intimidating as ever.
Sounds awful, right? Well it wasn't. It was splendid. Prestige has been making a great effort over the last few years in attaching their name to all things automotive, using social media as its secret weapon to connect with the people that aren't necessarily in the market for a new McLaren, but have the talent and the drive to produce an endless stream of pictures and videos of their products. These images, through the magic that is social media, can reach thousands of people, many of whom are actually looking to accentuate their Gallardo with a new Huracán.
This wheel, along with three others just like it as well as the car they come with, can be all yours for the paltry sum of a cool half mil.
We can take this one step further as well. Instead of Prestige being a new car conglomerate focused solely on profit and forgetting entirely about the enthusiast, it seems to me that they have their finger on the pulse of the automotive community. They have cars in their inventory that would be at home in any auto aficionado's dream garage. These cars include a 1968 Lamborghini Islero, a Ford GT Heritage Edition, a 1990 Countach 25th Anniversary Edition, and a BMW 3.0 CSL, among others.
Like moths to a light, the photographers were all attracted to a certain white McLaren.
At least 570 pictures were taken from this exact angle.
They partnered up with Tony for his Cars and Caffe season opener, which despite the high winds and low temperatures saw over 150 cars fill the lot of Prestige BMW. Additionally, they are the corporate sponsor for the Ramapo Concours, a show that presents beautifully restored and preserved cars on the manicured lawns of Ramapo College, my alma mater. They also have a racing team that campaigns in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America Championship. Needless to say that they have many irons in the fire.
The fun pipes of the McLaren 675LT on display.
So there you have it. A post that could have been filled with malevolence and ill will towards The Man for needing to meddle in the affairs of the common folk ends with praise and admiration instead. Besides, is it so terrible to allow those with the means to provide opportunity for those lacking in them? I'm looking forward to seeing what else Prestige can fit under their ever-growing umbrella. For a photographer and enthusiast, it means more favorable circumstances will arise and metaphorical doors will open. And as for the contest winner? The magazine spread in Drive Prestige went to a photographer whose vision of post-processing employs a different pathos than that of your author.
Make sure to browse the balance of my images captured at the event below. And if you have any thoughts in regards to corporate involvement in the automotive community, spill your guts in the comments.
