• by Aaron Baar , March 18, 2015

Many people are familiar with Penske Truck Leasing’s fleet by its distinguishable bright yellow exterior. But beyond that, few know about the company’s business services or what truly sets them apart from other competitors.

This week, the brand is launching its first national advertising campaign, showing off how it helps keep the world moving forward. Two commercials, timed to run on ESPN.com during the NCAA basketball playoffs, demonstrate what can happen when people use substandard trucks. 

“We want to paint a broader picture of who we are in the marketplace, particularly in the business-to-business world,” Sherry Sanger, senior vice president of marketing for Penske Truck Leasing, tells Marketing Daily. “We’re trying to do it by building on the idea of helping people move stuff. We’ve come up with stories of that, and [showing] what happens with the absence of Penske.”

The effort is launching with a business-focused spot in which a truck driver toots (as opposed to blasts) a weak air horn signal after prompting from a young girl in a passing car. “Take pride in your fleet,” suggests a voiceover, before mentioning that Penske offers full leasing and maintenance to keep a fleet running smoothly. 

Another spot aimed at the consumer market (and timed to take advantage of the summer moving season) depicts a family straining to have a conversation while traveling down the highway because they have to have their arms out their windows to hold their furniture on the roof of their car.

“This is a very human company. They are great to work with,” Cliff Sorah, senior vice president, group creative director, at The Martin Agency, says. “The humor in these spots establishes Penske as someone you want to hang out with.”

The campaign is timed to take advantage of the cross-section of business and consumer audiences that watch the NCAA basketball tournament in March, as well as the kinetic energy of the tournament, Sanger says. “We were looking for partnerships that highlight the idea of motion,” she says. “The basketball tournament is all about moving the ball down the court.”

After the tournament, the campaign will also include print, digital and social media elements in business magazines and websites, with a heavy focus on transportation and logistics publications.