OREANDA-NEWS. April 03, 2015. Chevrolet celebrated the #BestDayEver by personally surprising more than 12,000 people with a multimedia event that turned April Fool’s Day upside down and broke new ground to share the brand’s lineup of cars and crossovers.

An impromptu Kelly Clarkson concert for pregnant women and new moms, opening day tickets to Major League Baseball games across the country, gas cards from NASCAR driver Danica Patrick and more were part of Chevrolet’s Best Day Ever on April 1.

On a day typically associated with pranks of a different sort, Chevrolet recruited partners in sports, entertainment and philanthropy to surprise people across the country and from all walks of life with meaningful gestures large and small.

The surprises, which began with the introduction of the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, were streamed on Chevrolet’s YouTube channel. Chevrolet was the first brand to use the YouTube Spaces LA for a broadcast and first to stream for eight hours on the YouTube platform.

“Chevrolet took a vanguard position in creating a real-time marketing program that reached diverse audiences and brought about a new level of conversation about the brand,” said Paul Edwards, U.S. vice president, Chevrolet marketing. “The brand engaged millions of people today and if we got just a fraction of those folks to take another look at our cars, trucks and crossovers, we accomplished our goals.”

The #BestDayEver generated 1.5 billion social media impression with 98 percent positive sentiment and 3 million people viewed the live stream content. At peak times, the broadcast received 600 comments per minute.

Highlights

  • Alec Baldwin surprised students in a history class at Occidental College by dressing up as Abraham Lincoln.
  • Norman Reedus shared his passion for photography and production with students at St. John's University.
  • Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder crashed a class at Emory University.  
  • Olivia Wilde shocked Made in NY at Brooklyn Navy Yard students when she was introduced as the substitute instructor.
  • Spike Lee joined students at Harlem Children Zone for a discussion on achieving their dreams and following their passions. 
  • Pregnant women and new mothers attended a luncheon and during dessert, Kelly Clarkson – a new mom herself – surprised them with a private concert with iHeartRadio at The Grove Los Angeles.
  • Unassuming drivers in Concord, N.C. stopping to refuel their cars were surprised with free gas cards. The bigger surprise? NASCAR Driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS Danica Patrick presented the cards and took photos with fans on behalf of Chevrolet and Coke Zero.
  • YouTuber Tyler Oakley hosted his Psycho Babble podcast during the live broadcast.
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida and Chevrolet invited 100 children for a day of play at a local arcade. What could top that? A pair of mouse ears for each child and a surprise trip to Walt Disney World for all 100 children and their mentors.
  • Patrons dining at Vinsetta Garage in Berkley, Mich. were treated to lunch when Verizon IndyCar Series Driver of the No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, three-time Indy 500 Winner and “Dancing With the Stars” champion Helio Castroneves picked up the tab on behalf of Chevrolet.
  • Manchester United players Wayne Rooney, Robin Van Persie and Juan Mata invited Make-A-Wish Foundation wish recipient Matthew McMahon to a match in Manchester on May 16 via video. Manchester United legend Gary Bailey, mascot Fred the Red and members of the local Manchester United Supporters Club were on hand to present McMahon with tickets to the match and other club memorabilia.

Chevrolet is saving a showroom surprise for later this year on a new product that will round out the brand’s five new vehicle introductions this year.

The 2016 Volt was introduced in January, while the 2016 Malibu and Spark were introduced this week at the New York International Auto Show. The 2016 Camaro will be revealed at a public event in Detroit on May 16.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and selling around 4.8 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.