Promotion offers classic car aficionados a credit card

Hot August Nights bagged big-name sponsors this year, including Best Buy, and Daimen- Chrysler, and Bank of America, which will premiers a creative credit card promotion.

Bank of America customers, old and new, can get a custom credit card emblazoned with a photo of their very own classic car, along with the Hot August Nights logo.

"If anyone has a classic car, they love to talk about it and show it off," says Vic Delossantos, consumer marketing manager at Bank of America Inc.

and creator of the idea.

The reason for the promotion? "We're going to be the official classic car bank of the nation," Delossantos says."We want to help people finance or refurbish their cars."

Car and owner photos will be shot at a 40- by 20-foot tent in the Hilton parking lot during the event.ACME Photo will bring digital developing terminals from Los Angeles to process the photos on site.Only registered event participants can get the free photo service for a card with the Hot August Nights logo, but others can submit their own digital photo at www.bankofamerica.

comcreditcard to apply.

Don Schmid, executive director of Hot August Nights, says sponsors are drawn by the event's demographics an age group of 45- plus with household incomes of $75,000.

Business sponsors fund much of Hot August Nights and in return get VIP access to events and opportunities to set up mobile marketing units.

Among other major sponsors, Best Buy will park a 75-foot interactive trailer at Victorian Square.

Inside, people can try out MP3 players and video games.

Daimen/Chrysler, meanwhile,will show its new Charger model at Victorian Square.

Despite rising gas prices, automobile aficionados created strong room demand in Reno for the Hot August Nights.

Figures from the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority project a $32 million room rate impact, says Schmid.

The 2004 head count of 800,000 attendees made a $240 million impact on the area economy, says Steve Schroeder, director of communications for Hot August Nights.

Although a cap of 5,000 cars limits the number of classic cars registered, another 10,000 to 15,000 vintage models come to cruise at large, says Schroeder.