“Dear Subaru” Advertising Campaign

Dear_Subaru Carmichael Lynch put together a very bold and clever advertising campaign for Subaru, and it features a photograph that I took of my very own Subaru Outback after I ran it headlong into a boulder going 60 mph. I walked away relatively unscathed, but the car wasn’t so lucky.

This Subaru was 1 of 5 that I have thus far owned in my lifetime. The reasons why I walked away from the accident  has much to do with my predilection. When I bought my first one it was for the All-Wheel-Drive and good gas mileage. I would later discover other positive attributes, along with the company’s attention to manufacturing efficiencies and the environment.

With the “Dear Subaru” campaign, Subaru is counting on there being more people like me who have a story to tell. It doesn’t have to be an accident like mine, but anything that demonstrates  your affinity for driving their vehicles and the places they take you.

Carmichael Lynch and Subaru are pursuing a multi-channel marketing strategy with targeted ad buys in various publications, signage in dealerships, digital media, and I suspect some outdoor as well. The “Dear Subaru” imagery and messaging is all tailored to encourage conversation about the Subaru brand. People share their stories on the Web, but is so often the case conversations extend from online to offline as well as the reciprocal. It is a clever strategy, and I look forward to seeing how the campaign performs.

Money Dear_Subaru_Web

If you see one of the ads featuring my photo and story please tear it out, take a photo, or forwarded it to me online. I would appreciate it!

6 thoughts on ““Dear Subaru” Advertising Campaign”

  1. How cool is that? I’ve told your boulder story so many times, and to think that now I could see it in a magazine…can’t wait to spot it!

  2. Robert, you’re living life to the fullest, and it’s appropriate for Carmichael Lynch to spotlight your story. Since purchasing my own Subaru, an’04 Baja Turbo, I’ve been introduced to a group of people as diverse, fascinating and high-adventure as their cars.

    My own Subaru has been my platform for thunderstorm research as I gather data on severe weather; as a lifelong aviator and volunteer Skywarn Advanced spotter for the National Weather Service, my Baja lets me safely maneuver for observation, and escape extreme events like hail and flying debris. I get my photos, compare against radar, and have been able to build a database that helps me train pilots on weather avoidance. (Radar sees much but misses more, but a well trained aviator knows how to read into the radar, satellite images to avoid trouble.) Since I like my car too much to let it get damaged, its all wheel drive can’t let me down, and it never has, on road, or off.

    Along the way, I meet a lot of Subaru owners who share their stories, and their experiences echo yours. A common thread at the coffee counter at my local dealership is that many are pilots, aerospace engineers, aircraft owners, technicians, mechanics or from other demanding professions where engineering quality is expected.

    One USAF friend actually survived taking flight off a California mountain road to avoid a head on collision with a gravel truck. It takes a lot of confidence to pull that one off-and trust in whatever machine you’re ‘flying’. Other pilots and police, fire, EMS professionals, scientists, refuse to drive anything else, and they often have a harrowing story with a happy ending.
    Folks like that lead me to my first Subaru, and stories like yours have made me an owner for life-literally.

    Robert, you’ve really started something here, but your brush with fate is one for the ages. I’m just glad we’re all around to tell the tales.

    May all your adventures lead to more…

    Roland

  3. Thanks for your comment, Roland! Sounds like you have a very interesting profession. As you indicate, there is a deeper story here that profiles the individuals behind the cars.

    That’s interesting about your friend and the gravel truck as well. I actually had a similar experience with my Subaru Outback that I owned before this one. I was driving in the Ruby Mountains when a crazed driver who didn’t see me forced me off the road. I was able to maintain control down a steep embankment filled with gravel and sagebrush. It was a close call.

    We naturally gravitate towards the brands that we see as most closely aligned with our personalities and pursuits.

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