Marketing
Gran Turismo 5's marketing campaign started on November 18, 2010 with a TV commercial featuring the fictional marketing character Kevin Butler as part of Sony Computer Entertainment's It Only Does Everything advertising campaign for their video game products in North America. The commercial depicts Butler as the 'VP of Add More Awesome' explaining how he made Gran Turismo 5 "more awesome" by adding more features that were previously thought impossible.
At the October 2010 Australian International Motor Show, Toyota hosted a 24-hour PlayStation 3 GT5 endurance race, a recreation of the 24 Hours Nürburgring, with a total of 48 drivers split into two teams, racing virtual interpretations of the Toyota FT-86 G Sports Concept for a full day and night.
On November 14, 2010 it was revealed that Sony had teamed with Swiss watchmaker Tissot to host the official countdown timer for the launch of Gran Turismo 5. To promote the relationship, Tissot gave away one customized, GT5 edition Tissot PRS 516, every day up until the release date.
In February 2011, a real version of the Polyphony Digital-designed Citroën GT was floated by the Rialto Bridge in Venice, recreating a location in Gran Turismo 4.
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