The third season of HBO's Emmy-winning show Boardwalk Empire debuted last weekend, and the network used some inventive methods to promote the season premiere.
A dozen town cars were hired to transport individuals around downtown Manhattan, but these were not typical automobiles. Instead, the fleet was comprised of classic vehicles like the 1928 Hupmobile sedan, a 1937 Rolls Royce Phantom and a 1928 Packard.
All of the classic cars had previously undergone expert auto repair to keep them in running condition, but even still the taxi service was limited to just the Manhattan borough. The Boardwalk Empire logo and information appeared on the doors of the cars.
"With a show like Boardwalk Empire, we have the opportunity to leverage icons from the time period to create an authentic way for consumers to interact with our promotions," Zach Enterlin, senior vice president of HBO’s program advertising, told The New York Times.
Boardwalk Empire has been known to use classic cars as part of its set designs, and the collections of automobiles that made up this unique taxi service were of a similar era and style as those used on the show.
The promotion worked in junction with the smartphone program Uber, which connects passengers with available taxis. All of the rides in the vintage cars were free for passengers.