Cars.com Set to Kick Off 2009 Marketing Campaign With New Super Bowl Spot

CHICAGO — Nov. 10, 2008 — Cars.com, a leading online automotive shopping destination, today announced plans to kick off its 2009 marketing campaign by once again advertising during the Super Bowl. This is the second year that Cars.com will advertise in the Big Game. Super Bowl XLIII will air on NBC on February 1, 2009.

“We made significant strides in moving our brand forward through our Super Bowl ads and our overall marketing campaign in 2008,” said Mitch Golub, president of Cars.com. “We want to keep that momentum moving forward in 2009, and advertising on the Super Bowl - which was seen by a record 97.5 million viewers - gives Cars.com a way to kick off that campaign in a big way."

Cars.com will have one 60-second commercial that will air during the second quarter. The spot will feature a new twist on its successful 2008 “Confidence Comes Standard” campaign. The campaign features car shoppers who are confident in their new car purchase because of the preparation they did on Cars.com. Their preparation keeps them from resorting to an outrageous “Plan B” scenario they initially thought they would need to get the deal they wanted from the dealer.

The Cars.com 2009 plan will be a national, integrated media campaign that will run throughout the year and will be backed by the local promotional power of Cars.com's affiliate network, which includes hundreds of leading newspapers, TV stations and their websites.

Since Cars.com launched its first national media campaign in May 2004, the company has continued to set records in the number of monthly unique visitors to the site. Today, more than 10 million people visit Cars.com each month.

"Cars.com’s media campaigns have always been about reaching high-quality, ready-to-buy customers and delivering them, ultimately, to our dealer partners," Golub said. “As we roll out our national media campaign for 2009, we will continue to drive recognition of the Cars.com brand and further establish the site as a leading car shopping destination so, as consumers begin looking for a new car, Cars.com is top of mind.”
About Cars.com
Cars.com is the leading destination for online car shoppers, offering credible, easy-to-understand information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. With comprehensive pricing information, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection of new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions.

Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including Belo (NYSE: BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

Our two favorite ads are not actually real car ads, they're classics from the SNL archives. The first is the Adobe Car:

Adobe. The sassy new Mexican import that's made out of clay. German engineering and Mexican know-how helped create the first car to break the $200 barrier. At this price, you might not expect more than reliable transportation - but, brother, you get it! Extra features: like the custom contour seats, or the beverage-gripping dash. And the money you save isn't exactly small change!

Introducing the Chameleon XLE for 1993. Finally, a luxury car that doesn't look like a luxury car. Inside, the Chameloen XLE has everything you would expect in a luxury sedan of its class. Soft leather seating, a contoured instrument panel, and fine wood. But there's more - much more. Authentically distressed fenders give way to a partially padded roof of blistered vinyl. While under the hood, a simulated transmission-fluid drip whispers, "Hey, not worth the trouble." This is craftsmanship no one will steal. This is engineering for the inner-city driving experience.

Chrysler LLC Kicks Off New Day Celebration Campaign And Sets A New Tone For The Company Beginning On Feb. 3

• Chrysler LLC sets a new tone for the company in New Day Celebration campaign with animated cross brand spot and eight product specific spots
• Listening to dealer and customer feedback, Chrysler LLC debuts 12 Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicle value packages
• New advertising airs Feb. 3 in 55 Markets around the Super Bowl

Setting a new tone for the company, Chrysler LLC launches the New Day Celebration campaign that includes a new animated cross brand spot, titled "Listen to You," eight product-specific dealer spots that highlight 12 vehicles. The advertising breaks regionally in 55 markets as part of Dealer Advertising Association (DAA) local buys around the Super Bowl on Sun., Feb. 3.

Overall, the campaign theme is based on the new Chrysler LLC direction as a company that listens to its customers and is committed to moving fast and responding to customer and dealer feedback. The eight retail-oriented product specific spots will highlight 12 specific vehicle value packages that are available starting in February for the New Day Celebration promotion.

The animated "Listen to You" cross brand spot features a young boy creating his own automotive company by listening to what people want. The spot closes with "It's A New Day" and www.ChryslerListens.com. The overall theme of listening and giving customers more value is seen in the eight vehicle spots including the three spots (Chrysler 300 spot titled "Post It," Dodge Charger spot title "Engine" and the Jeep® Grand Cherokee and Commander spot called "Blindfold") which air Feb. 3.

"We're moving fast to earn the trust of dealers and customers and prove that we are listening," said Deborah Meyer, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. "In the first 60 days after Chrysler became private, we approved 260 line item improvements to our products."

The overall media strategy for New Day Celebration focuses on four "breakthrough" February events including the Super Bowl, Daytona 500, Super Tuesday and the Academy Awards with national or locally purchased media either prior to the event, event programming or post event, as well as online advertising on AOL, Yahoo!, MSN & Google.

"Our intent is to be very strategic with media and online initiatives by being where high volumes of people will go prior to, during or after major events to create a dialogue," said Meyer. "We have a great story to tell, about a company that is dedicated to putting the customer first and to improving the quality of everything we touch."

Examples of Super Tuesday media include NBC's Meet the Press hosted by Tim Russert, Nightly News special half-hour program, exclusive sponsorship of new Nightly News Online for the entire month of February and MSNBC's "Morning Joe on the Road" featuring Joe Scarborough, former Florida congressman, and local news programming emphasizing the 22 states that contain February primaries.

The New Day Celebration is the first initiative to show Chrysler LLC is listening and placing customers first with new product features and the industry's first online Customer Advisory Board, which will launch within the next couple of months. Details about the New Day Celebration product features can be found on ChryslerListens.com, Chrysler.com, Jeep.com and Dodge.com home and vehicle pages.

"With all of the changes, we have the opportunity to really get back in step with the American public," said Meyer. "Our task is to challenge old perceptions and build a new image that is strong and relevant to today's consumers - and prove that it really is a New Day for Chrysler."

The following New Day Celebration vehicle packages give customers more content at a tremendous value on 12 Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles starting February 1.
• Chrysler Aspen Limited package features no charge sun roof, no charge MyGig™ with ParkView rear camera, 18-inch chrome clad wheels, heated leather seats (first row), two-tone leather seats with embossed logo, two-tone leather wrapped steering wheel, premium floor mats and Signature Series badge. The Chrysler Aspen Limited G 4x4 includes $3,355 in value for a price of $1,855.
• Chrysler PT Cruiser LX Street Cruiser package includes deep tint sunscreen glass, 16" aluminum chrome clad wheels and tires, chrome bodyside moldings and lock knobs, bright front door sills and accent ring cup holders, front and rear floor mats, "Street Cruiser Series" liftgate badge. The PT Cruiser LX Street Cruiser package includes $1,770 in value for $775.
• Chrysler 300 Signature Series will now include no-charge MyGig multi-media entertainment system with navigation and no charge two-tone trim seat. It also includes 18-inch chrome aluminum wheels, 18-inch all-season tires, all chrome grille, heated front seats, side curtain/side mounted air bags, power adjustable pedals, express up/down windows and rear view auto dim mirror. The 300 Signature Series feature package has a value of $4,330 for $2,580.
• Sebring sedan features no charge MyGig entertainment system on the Sebring sedan Touring and Limited models which is a $650 or $300 value respectively.
• Sebring Convertible buyers also receive the no charge MyGig entertainment system on the Touring and Limited models, which is a $300 value.
• Chrysler Town & Country Touring Signature Series model features no charge dual DVD rear entertainment system, premium center stack bezel, remote start, electronic vehicle information center (EVIC) and Signature Series badge. The Signature Series package offers $2,200 of value for $695.
• Dodge Charger SE Plus features a 3.5-liter V-6 engine, electronic stability program (ESP), traction control, anti-lock braking system (ABS), 17-inch cast aluminum wheels, SIRIUS satellite radio, eight-way power driver seat, SXT interior upgrades (satin silver bezels, spears, etc.) premium floor mats and body side stripe. The Charger SE Plus package is $3,195 in content value for $1,400.
• Dodge Grand Caravan SE will feature Stow n' Go® standard at no charge on the base SE for the first time. This is a $945 MSRP value.
• Dodge Caliber SE Plus package features air conditioning, Chill Zone™, air filtration and 17-inch aluminum wheels, which is a package value of $1,695 for $795.
• Dodge Avenger features the no charge MyGig entertainment system as standard equipment on the SXT and R/T models for a value of $650 or $300 respectively.
• Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Commander features the no charge MyGig entertainment system with navigation on the Limited or Overland models which is a $900 value

Engine
Nardelli sends a note to the old Chrysler team, especially the people behind the Sebring, to gather in their offices.

Post It
The team gets a mysterious guide book with directions to the "new offices."

Blindfold
The directions lead to a wooded area where a vicious, animated child blindfolds them at gunpoint. They're left in the middle of the UP, where no one can hear them scream.

Listen To You
Nardelli's miniature henchman, Kid Cerberus, gathers everyone to the lobby. "The rule of law shall be respected! And I am the law! Listen to you? Never. You shall listen to me," he says with a murderous growl.

The Robot King
Kid Cerberus is so powerful that even the robots must obey his every command.

A New Day

It's a new day at Chrysler. And every day they must throw a celebration for their tiny leader, lest they end up abandoned in the woods like the others.

(Note: This is just a parody. The advertisement campaign seems to be about Chrysler turning it around, blah blah blah. We'll have more when we have video)

The Korean automaker's two new 30-sec spots take dead aim at German (rival?) automakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz and a tiny little swipe at Lexus (also rival?). Smugly touting their new 375hp V8, Hyundai is obviously trying to appeal to a more demanding clientèle and taking a little bit of an understated approach to the whole glitz-and-glam we normally expect from big budget big game ads. We think there will be quite a few people second-guessing their luxo-badge-snobbery come Sunday. And hey, does it seem like Hyundai's finally picked a front grille for the Genesis?