via AdWeek

With a budget miniscule compared with those of other sponsors of the sport, official Nascar lawn-mower provider Yard-Man will allow people to create an original email message spoken by virtual versions of race champs Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurrary and other avatars, reports AdWeek.
In addition to the viral element, the virtual Biffle and McMurray will begin posting speedway news reports once the site - which Monk-e-Mail developer Oddcast created - goes live Feb. 14. With a budget in the low six figures, not the $15-20 million it costs to sponsor a Nascar team, the lawn-mower company wanted to stretch its sponsorship as far as it would go. The company did not involve its agency, Marcus Thomas, in the process.

Based on "viral indicators" from Monk-e-Mail and other top Oddcast performers - including Purina's Doggie-Mail - Oddcast CEO Adi Sideman said one in three users passes along the ad messages, with 60 percent of recipients opening the emails and clicking through to the marketed site - compared with direct mail open rates, which hover around 15 percent.

That "brands like Yard-man and Nascar are embracing this new avatar technology is a good indicator that this is becoming increasingly mainstream," said Sideman.