Surprise! Oprah Gives Every Opening-Day Audience Member a New Pontiac G6

Pontiacs Scores Major Marketing Coup by Providing New G6s

It pays to be in the right place at the right time, or at least that must be how 276 Oprah Winfrey fans feel right about now.

Talk about fan appreciation day, those in attendance of her season-opening show on Monday got a big surprise as they went home with the keys to a new Pontiac G6. Thats one per attendee, a 276 tally that in total is worth $7.7 million.

Everyone knows that Oprah is rich, after enjoying 18 years with "The Oprah Winfrey Show" at the top of television daytime talk shows, but spending close to eight million would have been a little bit too generous if she had actually paid the tab herself. Instead General Motors footed the bill, and it might be one of the best publicity stunts in recent memory, being that the show airs in 212 U.S. markets plus 109 additional markets.

Mondays Pontiac G6 giveaway was kicked off this seasons "Wildest Dreams Come True" theme, a feel-good segment of the show where Oprah connects needy recipients that have unfulfilled wishes with those than can fulfill them.

"Its incalculable," commented Mark-Hans Richter, Pontiacs director of marketing. "The power of this is not in how many minutes of airtime we received. Its the power of Oprah. The buzz and validity is priceless, especially among women. There will be a lot of women talking about the G6 tonight over dinner."

The Grand Am model that the G6 is replacing is currently popular among women, and GM has hopes of increasing its reach. Oprah is an ideal demographic for the new car, added Richter. "But we had to make it exceptional, something no other car company could replicate, emulate or surpass with her show. I think we just pulled it off."

According to an Automotive News story, it took Pontiac and its African American advertising agency partner, Vigilante of New York City, one year to put the publicity event together.

The G6 models given away are well equipped to the tune of $28,000, with OnStar and XM Satellite Radio included. Each customer also has the opportunity to customize their new G6, through a Pontiac program.

What the lucky winners most likely couldnt have known prior to taking delivery of their new cars, is that the G6 is the first Pontiac to get the full Bob Lutz treatment, the product czar GM lured out of retirement after years of service for Chrysler Group, who upon starting promised to whip the General back into shape. Its interior quality has gone from one of the least inspired in its segment, to one of the best. Driving dynamics will no doubt be better too.

So how did Oprah set up the audience? At the beginning of the show she called eleven fans out of the audience to the front stage, and presented them with the new car. When the cheering finally settled down and the prize winners regained their collective breath, the popular host had gift boxes passed out to the entire audience, and told the crowd that one of the boxes contained a set of keys for the twelfth and final car. When the members of the audience saw that they had won a car too, shrieks of joy permeated the theater.

Again, once the winners gained control of themselves, Oprah led the entire audience outside the studio where all the Pontiacs were assembled, complete with large red bows attached. Then, each new car owner was told to contact a Pontiac dealer to personalize the car, for interior and exterior color. Each car came fully loaded so there was no need to see a features list.

More in the spirit of the "Wildest Dreams Come True" segment, Oprah also started the season off by giving a young woman that had spent her teenage years in foster care and homeless shelters a 4-year college scholarship and a $10,000 wardrobe upgrade and makeover.

The giving didnt stop there either. A houseful of furniture and home electronics was given to a family that cared for eight foster children, as well as a $130,000 check to pay off the mortgage and do much needed home repairs.

In the end the biggest winner might be Pontiac, as it scores immediate recognition as the feel-good automaker on the ultimate feel-good television show. If Pontiac felt it needed a stronger female demographic as part of its G6 customer base, it will without doubt have this now. What a coup!