The entire ad budget for the introduction of Pontiac's G5 is going to be spent online.

Pontiac's campaign may not generate as much awareness as TV, but what it lacks in breadth it will make up in depth, targeting deep into the younger male demographic for the niche model, writes AdAge. "We know where the bull's-eye is," Mark-Hans Richer, Pontiac's marketing director, is quoted as saying. Banner ads are appearing on sites such as Yahoo Music, Google and MySpace, among others.

Richer is quoted as saying the G5's debut will cost 60-70 percent less than a traditional car launch (typically $25-30 million for a model such as the G5). Six weeks into the campaign, G5 sales have exceeded August goals by 185 percent.

Going the online route is apparently becoming a trend for many automakers that are taking a test-drive on the internet - which also can deliver a branding experience - and are trying out direct and CRM tactics as well. Jumpstart Automotive Media optimistically estimates that auto marketers will get better advertising returns with 20 percent less spending within five years.