Why Car Dealership Ads Still Smell Like 2003 (and Who's Getting It Right)
There’s something oddly comforting about New Zealand car dealership ads. Not in the way a good soup warms your soul, but in the way a relic reminds you how far we haven’t come. You see them on TV, still clinging to those over-acted high-fives, the “drive away, no deposit!” catchphrases, and voiceovers delivered like the narrator's had one too many energy drinks. It's as if the entire category decided that time stopped when Bluetooth was new.
The dealership ad is a pocket universe where digital transformation gets parked out back and forgotten. An industry obsessed with motion, but when it comes to marketing, gripped by inertia. It’s not just aesthetic. It’s strategic. The storytelling rarely moves past price-drop persuasion. Which, fine, if you're shifting inventory, but pointless if no one wants to listen in the first place. The ads feel stuck on autoplay. No mystery, no tone shift, no character. Everything's max volume, no nuance. Reminiscent of a 2003 stereo cranked too loud.
But then there’s Turners. Somehow, they sidestepped the cringe. The animation work? Playful. The character voice? Memorable without being annoying. It’s goofy, but it's a distinct brand world. A world with a value proposition and a tone you can recognise before the logo shows up. That’s more than most mainstream shows can claim these days. Trade Me Motors? Also not bad. It’s the media placement that saves them, though, not the creative. They show up where people are already looking for cars, instead of yelling into the void.
We’re due a category reboot. One that moves past shouting about zero percent interest and into something with taste. Cars aren’t just utility anymore. They’re subscription services on wheels, lifestyle decisions, status signifiers. Why are we still pitching them like it’s a washing machine sale? One brave brand could reset the whole tone of the sector. The rest would probably follow. Until then, I guess we’ll keep watching history on loop, every ad break.
The dealership ad is a pocket universe where digital transformation gets parked out back and forgotten. An industry obsessed with motion, but when it comes to marketing, gripped by inertia. It’s not just aesthetic. It’s strategic. The storytelling rarely moves past price-drop persuasion. Which, fine, if you're shifting inventory, but pointless if no one wants to listen in the first place. The ads feel stuck on autoplay. No mystery, no tone shift, no character. Everything's max volume, no nuance. Reminiscent of a 2003 stereo cranked too loud.
But then there’s Turners. Somehow, they sidestepped the cringe. The animation work? Playful. The character voice? Memorable without being annoying. It’s goofy, but it's a distinct brand world. A world with a value proposition and a tone you can recognise before the logo shows up. That’s more than most mainstream shows can claim these days. Trade Me Motors? Also not bad. It’s the media placement that saves them, though, not the creative. They show up where people are already looking for cars, instead of yelling into the void.
We’re due a category reboot. One that moves past shouting about zero percent interest and into something with taste. Cars aren’t just utility anymore. They’re subscription services on wheels, lifestyle decisions, status signifiers. Why are we still pitching them like it’s a washing machine sale? One brave brand could reset the whole tone of the sector. The rest would probably follow. Until then, I guess we’ll keep watching history on loop, every ad break.