In what’s arguably the most offbeat car promo ever, Audi Canada began publicizing its new Quattro all-wheel drive system yesterday by issuing a fatwa against winter.

Well ahead of the snow, the integrated marketing campaign – with creative by Lowe Roche and media strategy by MBS (both Toronto-based) – kicked off with a convoy of branded snowplows driving in and around Toronto, warning the public that ‘winter is coming’ and encouraging them to ‘be prepared.’

Using the headline ‘Tell Jack Frost to bite it,’ Toronto’s MediaCom worked with newspapers including the Toronto Star and Vancouver Sun to place an Audi ad on a sharp diagonal above regular newspaper content. There are also more traditional newspaper ads in a variety of other publications.

‘Be afraid, Winter, be very afraid’ is the theme of the campaign’s 30-second radio rants against a personified Winter, as well as an interactive banner. The aggressive tone even extends to dealerships, where the slogan is being placed on car hoods.

‘Audi is a brand that’s all about capturing your imagination,’ says Geoffrey Roche, founder and chief creative officer, Lowe Roche. ‘And this does just that.’ Adds Audi Canada director of communications Doug Clark: ‘It’s cheeky, it’s aggressive, and it’s definitely going to grab your attention.’