Celebrity Musicians Descend on New York City with Valentine's Day Serenades

Feb. 14, 2014: Warming hearts on a frigid day in New York City is the goal as a pair of smarts breaks through rush hour gridlock to croon on demand. smart fortwo is the car that cleverly solves the driving challenges of urban living like no other vehicle on the planet. As part of "smart crooners," the brand is giving New Yorkers the ultimate Valentine's Day experience delivering surprise serenades by celebrity crooners to singles and couples across Manhattan.

Today, as many New Yorkers begin to receive flowers and chocolates at the office, smart Twitter followers can tweet their location or that of someone special to @smartcarUSA #smartcrooners and ask to be serenaded by American music sensations Case, the Grammy Award-nominated R&B singer-songwriter; and Ruben Studdard, R&B and pop musician who rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., two smart fortwos will be zooming around the city, each with a celebrity artist riding along in the passenger seat. As tweets are received, the smarts will be dispatched, sneaking their way through traffic like four-wheeled Cupids toward as many targets as possible. At just half the length of a common New York taxicab, the fortwo's tidy dimensions and effortless parkability will allow the crooners to pull up to crowded curbs and into even the smallest parking spots, where they'll quickly jump out to give an impromptu song.

"smart crooners is fun, spontaneous, and exactly the kind of Valentine's Day gift you would expect from a brand like smart," said Drew Slaven, vice president of marketing for Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), which manages smart operations in the U.S. "Since the smart is a two-seater, we've always wanted to build a campaign around couples and love. But today, it doesn't matter who you're with—just hop on our Twitter feed and you might just get a surprise performance by some great talent from a small car with big personality."

The lucky tweeters will be treated to a personalized concert on the busy streets of Manhattan for everyone to see. Each smart fortwo's location is being shared via live social media updates so followers can see whether the romance is in their neighborhood.

The campaign was created for smart by MBUSA's digital marketing agency, Razorfish (New York). To join the romance, follow the smart crooners this Valentine's Day at @smartcarUSA #smartcrooners.