Toyota Models, Prizes in Facebook Monopoly Game

Facebook has become a phenomenon in itself long before the launch of The Social Network (to be politically correct, the movie wouldn't have been made hadn't it been for the huge success of the social platform). But what the creator of Facebook would have never envisioned was that his little website would become a market place of its own.

Automakers have grown, only recently, very fond of Facebook. There isn't a single brand worth mentioning that hasn't launched at least one of its new models online, on Facebook. Some have even set up virtual dealerships there, in the hopes of drawing in more customers. And others, like Toyota, plan a bit of product placement in the free-to-play social games that have flooded Facebook.

The Japanese automaker announced today it signed an agreement with notorious game developer Electronic Arts that would allow it to place two of its products, the Toyota Prius and Toyota Prius Eco-Greenhouse into the Monopoly Millionaires game (a game released by EA in February 2011, access it by following this link). The two models will become, for the next 12 months, giftable virtual items.

“MONOPOLY and Toyota are two iconic brands and I’m delighted to help bring them together,” said Joy Taylor, global director, Marketing Solutions at Electronic Arts.

“Toyota, and Prius in particular, has a huge, devoted following that will get genuine value out of this partnership. We’re connecting one of the world’s most loved cars, with one of the world’s most loved games, on the world’s largest social media platform. It’s very exciting.’