The best of 2010: The top three auto Seeds of the year

US, Sweden – Rather than a new super-efficient electric car model or a futuristic new concept, it was the marketing campaigns that made my picks of 2010 Seeds on the automotive industry.

One favourite was Audi’s A8 Experience app, unveiled in Los Angeles, which was a great way to let people get a feel for the car without having to visit a dealership. People could download the app and explore the A8 model on their iPad.

I was impressed by how Mini experimented with location-based social networking. The BMW-owned brand invited people in Stockholm to chase a virtual Mini around the city. Once they captured it using their iPhone, they then had to evade being captured by other people playing the game. And if they managed to evade it for a week, they would win a real Mini car.

Audi also imagined what a petrol station of the future – in an era of electric vehicles – might look like at this year’s Design Miami/ event. The installation showed how a filling station would need to accommodate drivers for longer while they waited for their cars to be recharged.