With the launch of the new Santa Fe line, Korean automaker Hyundai is turning to lifestyle marketing in hopes that its new SUV becomes the defacto family car, no matter how one defines family. The campaign intertwines five different family storylines that are consistent throughout digital, TV, and print. There’s no focus on the vehicle’s […]
Car Account
A Ride So Full of Features, It Takes Harry Mack To Break Them All Down
Mitsubishi’s latest campaign for the all-new 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross relies on the element of surprise. You never know what you’re getting yourself into when you go for a test drive, do you? The work is a continuation of the Eclipse Cross launch campaign, and ties into Mitsubishi’s historical association with music. Client: Mitsubishi Motors […]
Tacoma Time Is Play Time for Big Kids
The Toyota Tacoma is built for the endless weekend. In other words, the Japanese manufacturer has decided this truck is playful. This positioning decision opened the door for the agency, Saatchi & Saatchi in this case, to have fun. The new adventure campaign features adventure seeking personalities like legendary off-road racer Ivan Stewart and Motorcross […]
The All New RAM 1500—Built To Serve Texans And Other Hard-Working Americans
In the advertising business, we love to talk about the “brand promise.” In theory, every brand has one. Take RAM Trucks. RAM is devoted to hard work and performance in every aspect of life — family, neighbors, community, and career. Let’s see if these values come screaming through in the new commercial for the 2019 […]
Kia Offers Industry Influencers A Text Drive
To promote the launch of the Stinger GT, Kia, in partnership with INNOCEAN Worldwide, created an interactive book that mimics the performance of a true GT to share with 100 of the country’s most influential journalists and automotive-award jurors. The booklet, dubbed, “Text Drive,” featured eight chapters coordinating with the car’s 8-speed automatic transition and […]
Take the Long Way Home in a Citroën
Citroën is a legendary car manufacturer in France about to reach its 100th year. To celebrate its Centennial, the automaker seeks to pay homage to the history, beauty and pop cultural impact of the Citroën cars. I love the soundtrack here—“Take the Long Way Home” by SUPERTRAMP—and the lyrical selection fits the unspoken narrative perfectly. […]
Lexus Finally Delivers On The Promise of Hyper-Customization
Finding the perfect vehicle that meets your every need was once only a fantasy, but now it’s becoming reality. Through a partnership with 23andMe, Inc., the leading personal genetics company, Lexus will soon offer the ultimate answer to vehicle customization. Genetic Select is a revolutionary new car buying experience that takes the only thing that […]
Big Trucks Are Kristen Bell’s Jam
Enterprise picks you up. The well-worn tagline is literal, and it’s also a double entendre. The car rental brand is working to lift your spirits, as well. The brand’s ad campaign from Cannonball in St. Louis is fun and lighthearted, thanks largely to the work of comedians Kristen Bell and Joel McHale. “As the needs […]
RAM Extolls the Virtues of “The Drum Major Instinct” (a.k.a. the Need to Feel Superior)
Chrysler messed up. The tone-deaf auto brand ran a Super Bowl commercial featuring an out-of-context voiceover from the estate of Martin Luther King. What the Super Bowl ad failed to include is the part of King’s sermon in which he warns against the dangers of spending too much when buying a car. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles […]
When Micro-Dosing Had No Meaning
As the former owner of two VW camper vans and one Jetta Sportwagon TDi (which was part of the diesel emissions scandal), the offer made in this new VW did grab my attention. The new six-year/72,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty is twice the length of what is typically offered by competitors. The new ad from Deutsch LA […]
Define Drivers: Keys To A New Caddy; A Bespoke Chocolate Egg; Dinner at La Banane
Cadillac Canada has partnered with renowned Toronto chocolate maker Brandon Olsen on a direct mail campaign that puts a decadent twist on the standard test drive invitation. Working with its lead agency Red Lion, the automaker tucked away keys to new Cadillac CT6s inside the hugely popular “Ziggy Stardust Disco Egg” from Olsen’s trendy Toronto […]
Dodge Flexes Its Muscle Cars On Social
Content and social media marketing get beaten up by old school ad men for focusing on “the conversation,” instead of the sales pitch. I think the reality is a bit different than the reported complaints. Car companies, real estate companies, clothing companies, restaurants, and hotels all use social media to share their assets with the […]
