Hasta La Creative!

SXSW might seem like an odd place for a motor oil brand presence, but during this year’s Austin confab, it looks like Shell-owned Pennzoil might have the coolest activation around.

Pennzoil is launching Pennzoil Platinum with PurePlus Technology, a new offering under the Platinum line that is made with natural gas. The company is eschewing Nascar and appearances in auto magazines for “Mario Karting Reimagined,” an activation that will let South By attendees jump inside a life-size Mario Kart for a racing experience.

The karts feature RFID technology that communicates between the vehicle, the track and icons on the course. Those icons — there are eight in total — include the familiar “red turtle shell” and “banana peel” that gamers familiar with the game know, as well as Pennzoil icons that speed up the kart’s performance. The karts themselves have GoPros attached to the roofs — the races will be simulcast on screens nearby and in the festival’s main building at the Austin Convention Center.

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