Birchwood Automotive Group

Creative Storytelling

We’ve all heard those horror stories: someone goes to a used car dealership and instead of getting a reliable, lightly used vehicle, they get a big fat lemon. And during a period of low supply for new and used vehicles, every sale matters.

So how does Manitoba’s number one dealer group communicate to customers that they aren’t your sleazy salesman but a reliable partner to get you into the car of your dreams? Well, Birchwood brings the service, and Brandish brings the campaign ideas.

The Problem

As the automotive industry begins to recover from a supply shortage, prices for used vehicles are beginning to fall. This price reduction is once again spurring demand for used vehicles. But many consumers are hesitant—mainly because they’re concerned about the seller’s honesty and vehicle quality.

To connect with these price-conscious buyers, Birchwood needed to show consumers that their dealerships are the place to skip the sleazy sale experience and buy used vehicles.

Our Insights

When you ask consumers about their thoughts on used car salesman, it’s not positive. Potential buyers are concerned about seller honesty, and they don’t want to feel as if they’re getting ripped off.

They want peace of mind in the auto buying experience so they can feel confident their vehicle is worth the money, and support once the vehicle has been purchased, whether it's questions about registration, insurance or if any repairs are needed. Customers are looking for a partner — not a one-time conversation and exchange of cash.

Our Solution

With the knowledge that used car buyers are worried about their experience when purchasing a car, we aligned with their concerns. We created a playful creative campaign that bluntly acknowledged the stereotype of the sleazy car salesman, and used that experience to contrast what it's like to purchase a car at Birchwood.

With our “No Second Guessing” campaign, Birchwood uses the sleazy salesman to proactively address the untrustworthy stereotype, and show that they are a customer-centric organization, where customers will feel they’re making the right choice with their money, and there will be no second-guessing, unlike experiences at other dealerships or individual sellers.

The Impact

To see how real people felt about the campaign, we surveyed and conducted a focus group that quizzed how the campaign made them feel, and what their impressions were.

The overall impression was strongly positive — as 98.51% of those who watched the ad had a favourable impression, finding it relatable, funny and entertaining. Many also believed it was concise and easy to understand, while also finding it authentic and real.

The No Second Guessing campaign directly addressed a main concern in the auto industry simply and cleverly, hitting home the message that Birchwood is an auto group that does car sales differently.