I HAVEN’T WORKED ON EVERY CAR IN THE AUTO MALL, BUT IT’S CLOSE.
As a CD or a CW, I’ve worked on everything from Global to National to Retail and been in on Launch Campaigns, Sustaining Work, Super Bowl Concepting, Stunts, Brand Work, Digital, Film, Print, OOH, Auto Show and even Dealer Show ripomatics for sports cars, sedans, minivans, sport SUVs disguised as minivans and SUVs that actually go off the road.
So I get the nuances of why stuff like interior IPs and exterior rakes might mean a little to a consumer or a lot to a client. (plus, I’m also an okay enough mechanic IRL). I also know that cars can be really fuckin’ hard. But they can also be a lot of fun.
My brand experience includes: Acura, Audi, BMW, Chevy, Chrysler, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Kia, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche andToyota (it’s much easier to list them than to do Logopalooza in Photoshop).
From all that, here are a few of my favorites:
LEXUSSAFETY.COM
MADE WITH TEAM ONE IN LOS ANGELES, CA
When you think Lexus, your mind automatically goes to “luxury” and “performance.” One word that was never top of mind: “safety.”
Our task was to add “safety” to the lexicon, with a series of moments — not ads, per se — that show what people do while they’re driving…besides driving.
The spots drove traffic (😬) to LexusSafety.com, a site that proved how Lexus can hold its own against its competitors. At its peak, the site drew 11x more traffic than Lexus.com.
The work was directed by Noam Murro and filmed by Larry Wong, earning a Gold at Cannes and props in the Clios, D&AD, One Show and others.
HYUNDAI SONATA TURBO LAUNCH
MADE WITH INNOCEAN IN HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA
You can rationalize buying the first Sonata Turbo by talking about stuff like better gas mileage, improved torque, etc. Or just show those two seconds of bliss when the turbo kicks in.
The work helped take the Sonata brand over the 200,000 sales mark in the U.S. for the first time ever (having a great car to work with didn’t hurt, either).
The film was directed by Mark Romanek and the print was shot by Nadav Kander.
NISSAN Z
MADE WITH TBWA\CHIAT\DAY IN PLAYA DEL REY, CA
Z owners love their cars. So much so, that many of them are hardcore collectors of all things Z. Especially print ads. (and yay for car magazines for keeping print alive!)
These are the first spreads from the campaign, which ran for three model years. And yes, you can find them on eBay for about $10 each (No, they’re not my reprints).
On a personal note, I’ll never forget walking into Chiat one day and seeing that Lee Clow hung the first one below on the wall in his office — Lions are great, but man, that’s pretty cool, too!
BONUS TRACKS: BRAND WORK
If you’ve made it this far, you can find some non-model specific brand work here:
Chevrolet/Manchester United Global Launch:
https://www.gregcollins.work/work/chevymanu
Toyota Winter Olympics Mobility:
https://www.gregcollins.work/work/toyotaolympics