august

Autotrader Campaign Looks At Love, Marriage, And Cars

Autotrader, which this year rebranded itself with a new look and logo, is launching anew campaign with two new commercials meant to appeal to phone-shopping Millennial consumers. The company’s own research shows that much of the 17 hours that Millennials spend shopping for a vehicle happens online. 

John Kovac, SVP of marketing for Cox Automotive, which owns Autotrader, said in a statement that the campaign is meant to assert that the experience of shopping for a new or used car or truck is as important as the vehicle you drive home. “While these new commercials embody that principle, that mindset is at the core of our brand and is transforming the way we do business. We believe you can love the experience of searching for your perfect car just as much as finding it.”

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The first ad follows a young man through the trials and tribulations of courting his future wife. He goes to pick her up for a date and the car rolls downhill because he can't get it into first; then his car is stolen after another date. Then he shows up in a pickup truck. Each scenario also highlights Autotrader's search platform, showing the search screen for car features that could have prevented the mishap in question or exemplify the kind of vehicle they are in at that point in the ad. 

In the last scene she's pregnant. Her now-husband, after buying her a milkshake, puts his cell phone down and we see that he’s been using Autotrader’s mobile platform to search for, what else, a minivan.

The second spot features a young woman who decides to leave the security of her small hometown to find new career opportunities in the city. The ads tout such Autotrader features as saved searches, text alerts and search filtering. Doner, Southfield, Mich., handles. 

Josh DiMarcantonio, executive creative director at Zambezi, which developed the spots, said the point was also that buying a car is a major life moment. “We were inspired to show that in these commercials — they're characters in those crossroads of our lives.”

Autotrader data shows that Millennials are more likely than older generations to purchase a new car due to a change in lifestyle. The study also shows Millennials who have experienced life events including getting married, buying a home and becoming parents are more likely to own a car than those who haven’t. “While the commercials portray Millennials, car shoppers of all ages can relate these stories to unique milestones in their own lives,” said Jessica Stafford, VP of consumer marketing for Autotrader, in a statement. 

The first spot debuts Sept. 5 during the CBS SEC Pre-Game show: “Autotrader College Football Today”. The second spot launches Oct. 1. The ads are also online at Autotrader's YouTube channel. 

Autotrader has been thinking a lot about how the brand should look and feel on different screens. That is demonstrated most strongly by its relaunch in March, with a new smartphone friendly, app-button like, logo, new identity and new advertising.

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