Last week, I sent out the following tweet:

Thinking of going to NYC auto show just to observe scaled back mktg. If u have been let me know must sees.

Within five minutes, I had a strange new follower which I revealed in this tweet:

Feeling a bit like Cat Stevens… I’m being followed by @VolvoXC60 . How weird is that?

A couple of minutes later, this direct tweet arrived:

@dneisser We think the Volvo XC60 is worth seeing. We’re running demos of its City Safety feature outside the Javits @ 11th & 37th for free!

So, of course, I did end up checking out the Volvo XC60 (see photo ) and followed with interest how Volvo was using Twitter to engage prospective customers. Turns out there was a lot more to their twittering efforts as report by Adweek:

Volvo is promoting the Twitter feed for the 2010 Volvo XC60 crossover vehicle through the biggest ad placement YouTube has run to date.

Volvo shop Euro RSCG created the rich media ad, which stretches across the YouTube home page today. It shows the XC60 auto-brake “city safety” capability, then gives users the option of seeing videos, photos or playing a game from within the unit. The banner also includes a live feed of Volvo XC60 Twitter updates from the New York auto show.

All in all, this seems like a smart use of social media to cut through the general malaise surrounding the Auto Show. Though I’m not really interested in talking to a car on Twitter any more than I want to watch reruns of “My Mother the Car,” Volvo was actually trying to provide me a service on a several levels. First, they had some news about a new car model. Then they wanted to engage me via a physical demonstration. Then they were prepared to educate me via videos and finally, they were prepared to entertain me with an online game. All this just for little old me, perhaps the bulls eye of their target audience, a middle aged married white guy with two kids, a dog and a cat all worth protecting via a safer ride. If only I didn’t have another 18 months on my Civic lease!

NOTE: The auto show itself was modest in all respects. The Detroit automakers were falling all over each other trying to out “un-extravagant” the other, canceling press conferences, eliminating glitzy displays and talking up value. Booth babes were in slim supply as if one more might have been considered a misappropriation of government funds. So what you had left was just the sheet metal and the throngs of tire kickers. No wonder a tweet from a Volvo was big news!

ADDENDUM: Got another Tweet from VOLVO this week:

That was a nice blog post you wrote. If you want to include it, we’ve archived the YouTube banner here: http://bit.ly/sPao9

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