• by Tanya Gazdik , October 4, 2017

The online automotive marketplace Cars.com is launching an aggressive multi-media advertising campaign that aims to amplify the brand across multiple media platforms through the close of 2017. 

The company is “doubling down on our investments in marketing in the fourth quarter,” said Brooke Skinner Ricketts, chief marketing officer at Cars.com.

The campaign, from Secret Fort in Chicago, aims to raise awareness about new pricing tools and its database of more than five million expert and user reviews,

“All of our consumer marketing — including this campaign — targets in-market car shoppers, who are a cross-section of many demographic segments,” Ricketts tells Marketing Daily. “Car shopping can be challenging, and our goal is to empower consumers with the resources they need to make better decisions about what car to buy, at what price, from which location and even from the salesperson who they connect with most.”

Creative demonstrates how Cars.com provides a superior shopping experience by delivering data-driven information across each of the four P's of car buying (product, price, place and person). 

The campaign includes two new 15-second TV commercials, "Twins" and "Donut," which will run across more than 15 series premieres on ABC, NBC and CBS. The spots can be viewed on the Cars.com Facebook page.

"Twins" features two sets of twins comparing vehicles on Cars.com and highlights the benefits of the site's Price Comparison Tool, which was launched in February as the first of several pricing features expected to hit the site, helping consumers find the best vehicle at a fair price. "Donuts" features a couple looking at reviews on Cars.com to find the best dealership to visit and purchase a car — the one that serves free donuts is the obvious choice.

“Buying a car is the second-largest purchase most people will ever make. The experience can feel overwhelming, confusing and challenging,” Ricketts says. “While we take Cars.com’s role in reducing the friction of this experience very seriously, we find humor is a great way to engage consumers around these challenges and deliver the benefits of our product and brand.”

Cars.com will also make a return to sports with integrated Major League Baseball tentpole programming. In-game TV spots will air during National League games in October throughout playoff season, and Cars.com will sponsor the "5-Tool Play of the Game," which spotlights a pivotal play and reminds viewers of the many helpful tools Cars.com offers car shoppers. The MLB campaign will also include full Twitter integration and revolutionary TV-synced digital advertising. 

The company will round out the campaign by amping up its always-on DRTV, SEM and digital retargeting programs, which includes an all-time high investment across social media and a first-ever presence on Snapchat.