BOLD CELEBRITIES AND DARING CONSUMERS APPOINTED AS "A-LIST ADVENTURERS"
28 June 2000
BOLD CELEBRITIES AND DARING CONSUMERS APPOINTED AS "A-LIST ADVENTURERS" Each will document their driving adventures online with the Aztek, the all-new Sport Recreation Vehicle. LOS ANGELES - May 16,2000 - A minister, a young, talented actress on the rise, a female hot-air baloon pilot, and a Native American Zen philosopher will all be on the ultimate road trip tihs summer- and consumers all across the country are invited to join them - virtually that is. Selected to be "A-List Adventurers", 20 "A-List" consumers and four celebrity participants will hit the streets in the bold aggresively styled 2001 Pontiac Aztek- just before the all-new Sport Recreation Vehicle (SRV) hits showroom floors. The 20 consumer "A-List Adventurers" were chosen from more than 13,000 entrants who submitted brief essays in an unusual online contest to Aztek's web site (www.pontiac.com/aztek) explaining why they are bold enough to drive the Aztek. Chosen because their own bold adventurous personalities were a perfect match for Aztek's unique personality and styling, each participant will test-drive an Aztek for 45 days. The 20 "A-List" winners, joined by personalities from the entertainment and sports worlds will experience how the creative functionality of the vehicle blends with their own lifestyles. Celebrity drivers include actress AJ Langer ("It's Like You Know", "My So Called "Life"); actor Billy Wirth ("Relax...It's Just Sex, "Boys on the Side", "Lost Boys"); Mark Burnett, Executive Producer, "Survivor!"; and Dave Hutchinson (US Pro Wakeboard Tour) Each will drive an Aztek for 1 year and document their own adventurous lifestyles online for several weeks, as well. "We're extremely excited about putting our A-List Adventurers behind the wheel of Aztek," said don Butler, Aztek Brand Manager. "The phenomenal response we received from consumers all over the country vying to be the first to drive the Aztek tells us we're on the right track. And since many of Aztek's most innovative features were a result of consumer interaction via the Internet, it only seems appropriate that the first driving opportunities for this all-new vehicle were provided via the Web." Representing a virtual cross-section of ages, sexes, occupations, and geographies, the consumer A-Listers range in age from 21 to 48 and include a stockbroker, a professional bicyclist, and rock-and-roll band singer, a music promoter, and a college student. One winner, a 45 year-old-female from Kentucky, expressed her passion to be an A-List Adventurer in her essay, "If I hadn't crashed fearlessly through the 'glass ceiling,' I wouldn't be the CEO of a large corporation. If I hadn't plunged dauntlessly into motherhood, I wouldn't have three beautiful children. If I hadn't tenaciously put one foot in front of the other, I wouldn't be a marathon runner. If I hadn't discriminatingly sought a car that matched my drive, mettle, and resilience, I wouldn't know about the Aztek. Now, I won't settle for anything less." The adventure begins May 19, where every A-List Adventurer will be flown to Los Angeles to meet each other, receive vehicle training, and a Canon digital camera, and learn how to post their adventurers on Aztek's web site during their oddyssey. An exclusive A-List "Beach Bash" will be held in Malibu California, where up and coming "junk rock" band Sumack will give an exclusive performance. Guests can enjoy sand shoeing, rock wall climbing, various extreme sport demonstrations, and a unique array of food from legendary chef Wolfgang Puck. All A-List Adventurers will receive their Aztek vehicles in their hometowns beginning in June. "We're giving very few parameters to our A-Listers," added Butler. "We want them to feel as free as they possibly can. The Aztek is all about freedom and versatility and we want these first few to take advantae of all that the Aztek has to offer. And from the X Games to Hollywood premieres, our celebrity A-List Adventurers will appreciate Aztek's innovative styling and personality." Uniquely combining the performance and handling of a sports sedan, the rugged capability of a sport utility vehicle, and the flexibility of a van, Aztek features a bold, aggressively styled exterior. aztek's design is highlighted by its confident wide-track stance and Pontiac's trademark cats-eye headlamps, oversized fog lamps, and a twin port grile with ram-air slots in the hood and protective side cladding. Inside, Aztek is flexible and accommodating, with two different seating configurations and numerous innovations, including an available insulated console/cooler that latches between the front bucket seats and an available sliding rear cargo tray that rolls onto the tailgate to facilitate loading up to 400 pounds of gear. The available rear cargo net wystem has more than 22 separate configurations to make transporting anything from sporting equipment to groceries a true convenience. After making its world debut at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show in January, the 2001 Aztek will begin arriving in showrooms on the West Coast beginning in June, followed by a national rollout.
A-List Adventurers
| Name | Hometown | Occupation |
| Heather Buege | Lewiston, Minn | Newspaper Ad Sales Rep |
| Mark Burnett | Los Angeles, CA | Executive Producer "Survivor" |
| Kathryn Copas | Sellersburg, IN | Hot-Air Balloon Pilot |
| Nicki del villar | Sonora, CA | College Student |
| Gene Dexter | Seattle, WA | Music/Record Promoter |
| Michael Dougherty | Lakewood, CO | Nurse |
| Joseph Duggan | Baton Rouge, LA | Real Estate Appraiser |
| Mable Duke | Blackey, KY | Residential Real Estate Appraiser |
| Shawn Farrell | Valparaiso, IN | Musician/Mgr of Inventory Integrity |
| Chris Gavigan | Culver City, CA | Adventure Travel Director |
| David Gregg | Norman, OK | PC Support Specialist |
| Dave Hutchinson | Orlando, FL | Pro Wakeboard Tour Athlete |
| Cleo Joiner | Louisville, KY | Minister/Musician |
| Carolyn Johnson | Ft. Worth, TX | President, Implementing Decisions, Inc |
| A.J. Langer | Los Angeles, CA | Actress |
| Tony Lauer | Overland Park, KS | GM, Transmedia Technology Corp |
| Alicia Martin | Mt. Olive, AL | College Student |
| Ken Pfeifer | Plainview, NY | Respiratory Therapist |
| Marcus Randle | Kenosha, WI | Customer Service Representative |
| Matt Robinson | Basking Ridge, NJ | Marketing Analyst |
| Brian Saks | Bridgewater, NJ | Financial Analyst |
| Matthew Spagnolo | Wilmington, DE | Stockbroker |
| Robert Tison | Arden, NC | Professional icyclist |
| Billy Wirth | Los Angeles, CA | Actor |