Scout Motors has begun its comeback story in earnest. 

The Scout Terra Truck and Scout Traveler SUV (revealed in October) won’t be on sale until 2027. But the anticipation is palpable. 

The brand has a loyal customer base coupled with new fans who appreciate how the upcoming models honor the spirit of the originals while providing the latest technology, like the ability to rocket from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds coupled with 1,000 lb-ft. of neck-snapping torque.

But raw power isn’t the focus of the new creative. 

Instead, it focuses on the brand’s durability via its off-road racing roots dating back to the early 1970s. Scout Motors returned as a sponsor in 2023 with a restored 1976 Scout Terra truck. Behind the wheel were renowned Scout restorer, ambassador, and legacy builder Sean Barber and his son Owen. 

The 60-second spot “Baja” from AOR Venables Bell & Partners picks up after the 2025 race ends. As the Race Terra is hitched to the new Scout Terra truck, the symbolism is clear. The final line of the spot reads, “It’s not about going backward. It’s about what you haul forward.”

The spot is running across CTV platforms such as Amazon Prime, Peacock and Paramount; online video such as YouTube; along with paid social.

The agency was heavily involved with the launch event last fall, when the two concept vehicles were revealed, says Matt Keats, group creative director at Venables Bell & Partners.

“So after that, what comes next? New brand, clean slate, everything and anything is kind of on the table. Honestly, it was a pretty daunting task and we were throwing things at the wall,” Keats says. 

Keats says Ryan Decker, Scout Motors vice president of brand and strategy, shared with the agency some of the things the brand had planned, including sponsoring a father-son team (Sean and Owen Barber) in the off-road race in Baja.

Featuring Sean Barber in the spot seemed like a natural fit because he is “an ambassador for the brand, someone who represents both where the brand's been but is equally passionate about where Scout Motors is going,” Keats says. “You have this father and son, the brand returning to its roots kind of revitalizing where we've been, but in a way of moving forward with the idea of a passing of the torch. It's literally what Sean and Owen are doing, and it's exactly what the brand is doing. Scout is coming back.”

Decker says seeing the iconic side profile shot of the new Terra with the Heritage Race Terra sealed the deal on the creative premise. 

“But beyond how good it looked, we always look for these moments of connection at the Scout brand -- and in this case, it was a great example of connecting the company to our community,” Decker says. “Sean and Owen are Scout OGs. They've helped keep the flame alive. It is really important for us as a company and a brand that we honor that heritage and that community.”

The spot artfully connects the brand’s heritage with ingenuity.

“At the brand level and at the product level, we really have this clear intent that takes the best of the old world with the new world at the product level,” Decker says. “The same logic applies at the brand level. It's that connection between old world ideals, respect, community neighborliness, but again doing it in a way that feels modern, technical, exciting, innovative. And I thought this piece summarized it perfectly.”

The history is a big part of the brand story, but it's a big part of the company story as well, he says.

“There has never been a new automotive entrant that is building on an existing community, and a brand that is already known and loved like we are with Scout,” Decker says. “And that is a very special thing. We are building our company culture and our brand around that.”

From a creative perspective, the marriage of past and future is so distinct, Keats says. 

"It's such a rich world to lean into,” Keats says. “And I think as you're finding as the world becomes more automated, more tech-driven, there's this kind of desire and craving for return to real substance more than ever maybe. And it feels like Scout is the right brand for the moment, returning to what's real.”

Although the brand isn't new, everything about this iteration of the company is being built from the ground up. 

“Although we love that we're starting with existing equity, we do want to make sure that we expand the reach of the Scout brands when we are ready to sell cars, we're known wide and we have enough fans to make sure that we're filling our demand and filling up that factory,” Decker says. “But I think the more strategic side is, we also want to make sure that we're nurturing a relationship with those reservation holders starting already.”

Reservations are coming in from all over the country, not just the coasts, he says. 

“We're pleased with the tempo, we're very pleased with actually the context behind our reservations,” Decker says. “We always said we want it to be a 50-state brand, and that's exactly what we're seeing in our data. We wanted to make sure that we had sort of 50-state heartland appeal. And that's exactly what we're doing.”