This execution was part of a major campaign to relaunch Chevrolet Malibu and Cruze. Both had suffered from years of consumer apathy. Brand trackers indicated low familiarity and opinion of the nameplates.

This particular execution was intended to show audience members that these new cars have unexpected advanced safety technology. We learned from research that if we could truly break through, our message could help transform consumers’ opinion of these important nameplates.

Specifically “Don’t Go In There” was based on the insight that typical automotive feature-based advertising will blend into the sea of sameness and we won’t have the impact needed to really demonstrate the importance of the technology. So, it was imperative to create an execution that would be shockingly breakthrough and demonstrate that Malibu and Cruze are truly different than what consumers perceive them to be.

To create mass awareness of the all-new Malibu, we looked for a media channel that would provide big impact in a highly engaging setting. Cinema provided this opportunity for us to showcase Malibu on a big stage. Partnering with Screenvision in a fully national campaign starting in January, a :60 spot was secured with premium placement immediately preceding the trailers of the movie. Our positioning was key, as movie goers were more likely to be in their seats with the lights dimmed, waiting for the trailers to begin. The campaign start timing also coincided with Oscar nominations and heavy foot traffic to theaters. The campaign runs from January through June on over 13,000 screens in over 1,800 theaters nationwide.

It was so effective as a trailer that 60% of movie houses switched it from the “advertisement pod” to the “trailer pod,” where consumers’ attention is undoubtedly undivided.

The campaign metrics indicated success as well. 69% of movie goers feel better about Chevy Malibu and Cruze after seeing the ad. 59% are more likely to consider a Chevy Malibu the next time they are in the market for a new vehicle. All these scores surpass Screenvision automotive norms.