New Advertising Buy Extends the Power of AutoTrader.com's 'Heart & Mind' Campaign

ATLANTA, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoTrader.com's "Heart & Mind" advertising campaign, launched in May of this year, has helped drive record visitors to the auto shopping and information site and delivered more car shoppers to the dealers and private sellers who list their vehicles for sale on AutoTrader.com.  To build on that success, AutoTrader.com is launching an extension to the campaign that includes additional broadcast exposure on USA Network, ESPN and ABC.

Beginning this week, AutoTrader.com's "Heart & Mind" spots will start airing on USA Network's top-rated programming.  This is an additional media buy and will further promote AutoTrader.com to key demographic audiences.  AutoTrader.com will also increase its exposure on ESPN's popular Sport Center show, as well as ABC Saturday night college football broadcasts and Monday Night Football, through TV spots, billboards and program integration.

AutoTrader.com will also have presence this fall during NFL Sundays on Fox, Major League Baseball's post season playoffs and World Series and NBA on TNT.  

The main elements of AutoTrader.com's 2010 campaign are the "Heart & Mind" 30-second spots, two high-energy, visually stimulating commercials that highlight the functionality AutoTrader.com offers to allow people to review and compare real new and used vehicles listed for sale on the site.  Stunning imagery represents the shopping process through the heart and the mind, where emotional and rational decisions take place.  The spots communicate that when using AutoTrader.com to find a new or used vehicle, buyers will be satisfied with their purchase decisions.

In the digital realm, AutoTrader.com has had a variety of home-page takeovers and other on-line ads on top sites like Slate.com, YouTube, Pandora, AOL Fanhouse, Facebook, ESPN, CNN, NBA.com, NASCAR.com, PGA.com and Yahoo! Sports. These high-impact digital ads utilized dynamic images and copy from the broadcast spots to build on and reinforce the messaging from the television campaign.

"This extension of the 'Heart & Mind' campaign is a result of the success we've had already with it, confirming our research on the kinds of messages that would resonate with car shoppers and get them to our site to review auto listings and car shopping content," said AutoTrader.com Chief Marketing Officer Clark Wood. "This campaign has contributed to the record site traffic AutoTrader.com has experienced this year, and we expect this additional media exposure to have additional impact."

Routinely since the campaign launched, AutoTrader.com has surpassed 15 million unique monthly visitors, with monthly traffic exceeding traffic for corresponding months in 2009.

The "Heart & Mind" campaign addresses two important findings from research AutoTrader.com conducted in 2009 and early 2010.  No. 1, when starting the car buying process, 45% of car buyers consider both new and used vehicles.  No. 2, coming off these challenging economic times, car buyers more than ever want to know they bought the right vehicle.  To help eliminate potential buyer's remorse, car shoppers are doing more research on-line to review makes and models, compare prices and special offers and build their consideration sets.  The "Heart & Mind" campaign cleverly communicates how shopping for a vehicle on AutoTrader.com allows buyers to find vehicles that meet their wants and needs and helps them be sure they purchased the right vehicle.

AutoTrader.com utilized in-house and agency resources to research, design and execute the many facets of this new campaign.  Outside agencies include Doner of Southfield, Mich., and Critical Mass of Chicago.  The spots are housed on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/FindTheRightCar.

About AutoTrader.com

AutoTrader.com, created in 1997 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is the Internet's leading automotive marketplace and consumer information website.  AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location millions of new cars, used cars and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of auto dealers and private sellers.  AutoTrader.com attracts more than 15 million unique monthly visitors who utilize the site to view vehicles for sale, research and compare vehicles, review pricing and specials, and read auto-related content like buying and selling tips, auto maintenance tips and coverage of major auto shows and automotive trends.  Through innovative merchandising functionality such as multiple photos, videos, detailed descriptions and comprehensive research and compare tools, AutoTrader.com unites new and used car buyers and sellers online to improve the way people research, locate and advertise vehicles. AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises.  The venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and the private equity firm Providence Equity Partners are also investors.  For more information, please visit www.autotrader.com.

SOURCE AutoTrader.com