New Advertising Campaign Highlights AutoTrader.com's Large Selection of New Cars for Sale on Site

ATLANTA, April 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoTrader.com launched today a new advertising campaign aimed at reminding consumers about the huge number of new cars listed for sale on AutoTrader.com and of the robust search and research functionality AutoTrader.com offers to help shoppers locate the perfect new car.

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The new 30-second advertisement borrows imagery from AutoTrader.com's successful "Heart & Mind" campaign, which has aired continually since May of 2010.  The "Heart & Mind" campaign uses high-energy graphics, visuals and music to creatively highlight the functionality AutoTrader.com offers for people to review and compare new and used vehicles listed for sale on the site.  In the past year, AutoTrader.com has seen an increase in site traffic and studies of the "Heart & Mind" campaign AutoTrader.com conducted indicate it is very memorable and well-received by the car-buying public.

"As the new-car market continues its recovery and the spring-summer car-buying season heats up, we wanted to use our very memorable 'Heart & Mind' imagery to specifically highlight how AutoTrader.com can help people find the perfect new car," said AutoTrader.com Chief Marketing Officer Clark Wood.  "With more than 1 million new cars listed for sale on our site and an unrivaled suite of tools for reviewing new car inventory on dealers' lots, AutoTrader.com is one of the largest new-car marketplaces in the country."

In the spot, a man begins searching for a new car and is brought into the world of "Heart & Mind," where he learns about his options while narrowing down his search for the perfect new car that meets his needs and wants using AutoTrader.com's new-car shopping tools.  Click this link to view the spot: www.youtube.com/findtherightcar.

The New Car campaign will be launching with a fully integrated advertising plan aimed at surrounding new car shoppers.  The new-car campaign's 30-second spot will be debuting with a broadcast plan across the NBA Playoffs and networks like HGTV, USA, Lifetime, ESPN, Adult Swim and the History Channel.  The campaign message will also be carried via custom integrations into original programming as well as a "DVD on FX" spotlight featuring the new car shopping process on AutoTrader.com.

The new car message will also be featured on a national radio over several top radio networks, including ESPN, Premier, Westwood One and Dial.  On radio, the new-car message will be carried via two spots that highlight messages about AutoTrader.com's leadership in and wealth of information about new-car shopping that are similar to the message of the television spot.

In the digital realm, the new-car campaign message will be communicated via highly targeted ads aimed at new-car shoppers across the Internet, video ads, search engine marketing and social media.  The digital campaign will span websites like YouTube.com, targeted online auto channels and video networks like Tremor and YouMe.

AutoTrader.com's new-car shopping tools, specifically highlighted or alluded to in the campaign, include actual photos of new cars on dealers lots; the ability to search by make, model, color, price and other options, including new-car special offers; detailed descriptions of new cars listed for sale; and a research and compare area that includes information about new cars as well as new-car reviews.

Even with signs of economic recovery increasing, 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.  This new car campaign makes clear that AutoTrader.com is the top destination for new-car shoppers to find the perfect car at the perfect price that they're hearts and minds agree on.

"About 13 years ago, AutoTrader.com helped change the way people shopped for used cars," said Wood.  "We've made similar inroads in how people shop for new cars and wanted to make sure even more people know how AutoTrader.com can bring certainty to this major purchase."

About AutoTrader.com

Atlanta-based AutoTrader.com, created in 1997, is the Internet's ultimate 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 and is a leading online resource for auto dealers, individuals and manufacturers to advertise and market their vehicles to in-market shoppers. The company also provides a robust suite of software tools for dealers and manufacturers to help them manage and market their vehicle inventory and display advertising on the Internet. AutoTrader.com continues to grow key business metrics, including revenue, profitability and site traffic. Today, AutoTrader.com attracts more than 15 million unique monthly visitors who utilize the site to review descriptions, photos and videos of vehicles for sale; research and compare vehicles; review pricing and specials; and read auto-related content like buying and selling tips and editorial coverage of major auto shows and automotive trends. AutoTrader.com operates two other auto marketing brands, AutoTraderClassics.com and AutoTraderLatino.com. AutoTrader.com also owns used vehicle management software company vAuto, Kelley Blue Book (Kbb.com) and HomeNet Automotive, a leading provider of online inventory management and merchandising solutions for the automotive retail industry.  AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Providence Equity Partners is a 25 percent owner of the company and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is also an investor. For more information, please visit www.autotrader.com.

SOURCE AutoTrader.com