Kijiji races to launch new auto platform

Who: Kijiji, CloudRaker, Cinélande (production), Post 430 (post-production), Apollo Studios (sound mixing), Mosaik

What: A new national campaign, “Driver’s Seat,” promoting the online classified site’s new auto-specific platform, Kijiji Auto. CloudRaker also developed the visual identity for the new platform, which debuted in October.

When/Where: The first national campaign for Kijiji Auto, the media strategy is built around marquee live events including the Super Bowl, Grammys and Oscars, along with cinema, radio, Toronto Raptors sponsorship—including both in-game and in-stadium ads—and extensive digital and out-of-home activations, including a presence at the Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton automotive shows (plus transit station takeovers).

How: Directed by Didier Charette, whose reel also includes work for McDonald’s Canada, Tourism Montreal and VIA Rail, the campaign’s video elements show how Kijiji Auto literally puts users in the driver’s seat when it comes to buying a new vehicle. The videos riff on traditional car advertising, with auto buyers steering their sofa or chair to their vehicle of choice (among the subtle touches: A “Professional stunt chair driver. Do not attempt” disclaimer at the bottom of the screen). The campaign is aimed at a national audience of adults 25-54, but targets multiple segments, from first-time buyers to research-intensive shoppers and car lovers.

Of note: Kijiji boasts that it is Canada’s leading automotive classifieds site, with more than 493,000 vehicles listed, including approximately 115,000 new vehicles. Its owner, eBay Classified Groups, says that it decided to launch the dedicated auto platform in Canada because Kijiji is both the top-ranked classified and automotive site in the country, as well as a top-10 digital property.

So how did they get that racing furniture anyway?: Gavin Drummond, creative director of CloudRaker: “We went to a remote location, brought in a telescopic, u-crane Russian Arm, then filmed cars speeding down the road. The only difference was that the cars had pieces of furniture attached to them with a long steel rig, which we then erased in post-production.”

Chris Powell