• by Tanya Gazdik , April 15, 2015

Avis Car Rental is launching a campaign for its signature series of luxury brand cars that focuses on the story behind accomplished professionals.

The seven entrepreneurs include Blake Mycoskie, founder of Toms shoe company, and the effort is themed “What Drives You.”

Videos feature the professionals telling their stories in their own words, says Jeannine Haas, chief marketing officer, North America, Avis Budget Group. The campaign builds on the brand’s previous “The Professionals” campaign by focusing on the role Avis plays in helping busy professionals arrive at their best, she says.

“We realize that first-person, previously untold personal stories of success resonate strongly in today’s busy world,” Haas tells Marketing Daily.”As such, we had the confidence to be bold and take a cinematic approach to brand-building to differentiate Avis from its competitors. Our goal with the campaign was to have each individual tell their story, in their own words, and show that like them, Avis believes how far you go in life is a matter of what drives you.”

Key features of the campaign, from Leo Burnett Business, include a  30-second TV spot featuring Mycoskie, a web video series, a social media campaign including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter using #whatdrivesyou and a Facebook sweepstakes.

Participants in the Facebook sweepstakes will automatically be entered to win $2,500 in Gilt credit, $1,000 worth of Toms gear and a complimentary Avis Signature Series rental.

Also featured are Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, the cofounders of fashion label Gilt; Anthony E. Zuiker, creator and executive producer of the CSI franchise, Baratunde Thurston, author, comedian and CEO, Cultivated Wit; Aida Mollenkamp, chef, author and food expert and Leland Melvin, astronaut and education counselor.

“We chose these individuals to represent our Avis Car Rental brand because they each uniquely demonstrate how they channeled their passion into driving success in a highly inspirational way,” Haas says. “Importantly, travel plays an integral role for each individual and therefore, Avis’s role as a trusted travel partner is authentic and compelling.”