• by Karl Greenberg , April 2, 2007

The New York Yankees is the latest Major League Baseball team to go to bat for online consumer automotive channel AutoTrader.com, as it unveils its largest campaign to date. The Atlanta, Ga.-based company, a division of Cox Enterprises, Inc., will launch a campaign this week that includes a regional focus around MLB teams with which it has a promotional relationship, and a raft of television buys.

Starting this week, AutoTrader will activate partnerships with the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim with team radio advertising, electronic or static stadium signage, scoreboard and on-line consumer promotional programs and customized, in-game features.

The local, team-related efforts will be augmented by spot-TV buys across some 12 cable and network television channels, and special arrangements with Spike TV and Comedy Central. The effort is by AOR Doner, Southfield, Mich.

Lisa Nardone, EVP/account manager at Doner, says the campaign is national with regional focus in key markets, with the one 30-second spot customized for each market.

The ad, using the new tag-line "The Ultimate Automotive Marketplace," calls out the enormous selection of vehicles and the ease of narrowing down to a precise car or truck one seeks in one's own area. The spot shows a vast river of cars roaring down a 10-lane highway, through city throughways, superimposed with computer-screen windows suggesting somebody shopping for just the right vehicle on AutoTrader.com.

As the choices are narrowed down, the stream of cars splits off, with a smaller parade of red Mustangs rolling down successively smaller streets. Finally, as the cars appear to split once again, the shot cuts to the couple who were shopping. "That's the one," they say, as the particular red 'stang they were seeking rolls into the driveway, and the handful of ones they didn't choose cruise around their cul-de-sac and back to the highway.

An AutoTrader spokesperson says that, while the effort is national in scope, it is local in execution. He points out that the company's relationship with MLB teams is not part of a national relationship with the MLB organization. "It's with specific teams on a market-by-market basis. It is truly a local effort in that regard," he says. "Essentially, we are going to have in-stadium signage, and an opportunity to be involved with in-game activities between innings on big-screen scoreboards."

As part of the new campaign, a TV ad that started running in limited buys in January will be rolled out across several channels. The 30-second ad called "Armada" demonstrates, with computer animation, the array of cars and trucks listed on the Web-based auto clearinghouse, which directs buyers to sellers, including dealerships.

"We have three million vehicles listed on site with 11 million unique visitors per month, but what we offer a person in the market for a vehicle is the chance they will find on AutoTrader.com the vehicle they want, locally. That's the primary communication."

AutoTrader began airing the spot in a limited run on TNT in January via AutoTrader's sponsorship NBA game broadcasts. AutoTrader is presenting sponsor of TNT's NBA "Tipoff" show. Starting this week, the ad will roll out across an array of shows, including "Jimmy Kimmel Live," "The Late Show," "The Tonight Show," "Monk," "House," and "Law & Order."

AutoTrader will also have "presented by" audio and visual "billboards" book-ending a number of cable programs, says the rep. But it will also include outdoor billboards in several markets.

In addition to the TV spot, the company will sponsor humorous vignettes on "Comedy Central" about April's National Car Care Month. AutoTrader and "Comedy Central" are jointly creating the sketches, per the spokesperson.

Also, the company is negotiating an Internet and broadcast sponsorship of Spike TV's "Powerblock," a 120-minute block geared toward auto enthusiasts. And AutoTrader is sponsoring Saturday programming on Speed Channel.

AutoTrader has also renewed a deal with Univision, and will run Spanish-language versions of the "Armada ad" on the network.