Chrysler designed a vehicle so perfectly simple that we thought to ourselves, “what would a perfectly simple car buying experience look like?” The answer was to enlist a team of Chrysler PacifiKids (child actors trained on the features of the Pacifica) to make the experience of buying a minivan feel like child’s play. Our agency transformed a real dealership in Victorville, CA into the Chrysler PacifiKids’ very own showroom floor, complete with miniature desks, scooters, and a slide with a ball pit. Real families were invited to the Victorville location where, unbeknownst to them, every minute of their interaction with the PacifiKids sales staff was caught on hidden camera. The PacifiKids used their expert knowledge of the minivan to sell families on the features of the vehicle, including kid-friendly favorites like the Stow n’ Vac and UConnect system.

Renderings and set design transformed a Chrysler dealership into the perfect balance of professionalism and play. We cast 11 SAG actors to play the PacifiKids. On set, 14 hidden cameras were installed. Through a series of focus groups, we identified real families in the market for a new vehicle and invited them for an undisclosed sales event. After hair, makeup, wardrobe, and extensive Pacifica training, the PacifiKids successfully sold real families on their brand-new minivan. Footage from the two days yielded nine digital content pieces.

Phase two consisted of a sweepstakes whereby families entered to win a test drive, or “field trip”. To promote the sweepstakes, 28 paid influencers posted 146 pieces of organic social content of their personal Pacifica experiences, encouraging families to sign up. Three winning families (out of 1,246 entries) were selected for on-camera Pacifica field trips; those content spots were put to a national online vote.

During the two-phased PacifiKids campaign, a total of 13 content spots were produced and posted 28 times across brand channels. There were 367MM combined social and media impressions with a national audience, and 8.2MM video views. With the brand’s social engagement benchmark of >1% considered to be very strong, we had a 2.6% organic engagement rate on Facebook and a 16% video view rate. There was a 90% virality with the content spots (compared to the brand’s benchmark of 7%), 89% product consideration (compared to the brand’s benchmark of 70%), and 86% brand linkage (compared to the brand’s benchmark of 76%).

The campaign successfully introduced the new Chrysler vehicle to a crowded marketplace, breaking through the clutter with its unique car buying approach and reversing the negative stigma associated with minivans. In addition to social buzz, the campaign also resonated with media, earning Chrysler 300MM PR impressions.