Innovative agency challenges customers to love their local car dealer

How to make car salespeople appealing is the latest challenge for innovative advertising agency Grisdale Lesniak Swann.

Just 15% of Europeans trust car sales staff according to a recent survey - with only politicians ranking lower.

But Alex Swann, Managing Director of Grisdale Lesniak Swann is challenging public perceptions by appealing to the public to learn to love their local car dealer.

"The Government told us to ‘hug a hoody’ now we are asking the people of Staffordshire to 'cuddle a car dealer," said Alex, whose West Midlands agency has teamed up with regional car dealership Holdcroft Honda.

Grisdale Lesniak Swann has come up with an imaginative campaign to show car salespeople have a human face. The agency won a pitch for the Holdcroft Honda contract against agencies from across the UK, including London.

"When people talk about car sales staff they say things like Joe is ok because I know him, but I wouldn't trust most of them as far as I could throw them.

"Our campaign is about making "Joe" the norm. Showing the staff going to football or mowing the lawn transforms them from one of them to one of us," explained Alex.

"Our campaign asks people to focus on the real person behind the salesmen and women and help them be better understood. We focus on the sales staff at home, walking their dogs or pottering in the garden. We've managed that through our print and internet campaign and Holdcroft Honda are delighted with the results."

The campaign's quest to transform public perceptions fit perfectly with Honda's own environmental initiatives and ongoing 'Do it' campaign, which is aimed at encouraging greater community links to the salesrooms via voluntary work and clean up projects.

"This campaign has been very exciting for all at Grisdale Lesniak Swann and we are delighted to be working with Holdcroft Honda in an ambitiously creative way" Alex added.

"We fully intend to continue pursuing innovative advertising styles and will enjoy the continued growth of this relationship with Honda and Holdcroft."