Drive Home a Car and Get a Free PS5 

Company: AutoPlanet

Channel: LinkedIn, Meta (Facebook & Instagram) & EventBrite

Running Date: August 2022 – February 2023

Campaign Overview:

In August 2022, AutoPlanet launched a unique promotional campaign to attract a younger demographic: Buy a Car, Get a Free PS5 and Extended Warranty. This promotion leveraged the high demand for the newly released PlayStation 5, which was challenging to find due to limited availability. The goal was to entice potential buyers with a high-value, sought-after bonus, making AutoPlanet the go-to dealership for young, first-time buyers. This campaign ran until February 2023, when we ran out of PS5 inventory due to high demand.

Campaign Duration:

• Start Date: August 2022
• End Date: February 2023 (until stock depletion)

Channels and Budget:

• Facebook & Instagram: $10,000/month
• TikTok: $7,000/month
• Spotify: $5,000/month

Total Campaign Budget: $22,000

Target Audience:

This campaign specifically targeted young adults aged 20-35, focusing on first-time car buyers, gamers, and tech enthusiasts eager to get their hands on a PS5. We employed geo-targeting within Southern Ontario to maximise reach and engagement among relevant, local audiences.

Campaign Objectives:

• Increase Awareness: Promote AutoPlanet as a dealership offering exciting, exclusive bonuses like a PS5, catering to a younger audience.
• Generate Leads: Drive inquiries from potential car buyers by capitalising on the high demand for the PS5.
• Drive Conversions: Convert leads into sales by offering a compelling value proposition that includes both a PS5 and an extended car warranty.

Key Campaign Metrics:

• Average Monthly Leads: 300
• Target Cost Per Lead (CPL): $80
• Actual CPL: Achieved an average CPL of $73, making the campaign highly efficient.

Platform Strategies & Execution:

Facebook & Instagram (Meta)

• • Ad Formats:
    • Carousel Ads: Highlighted the key features of the offer, including the PS5 bonus, the extended car warranty, and popular car models. Each slide emphasised the offer’s limited-time nature to encourage immediate action.
    • Story Ads: Created visually engaging, quick story ads with bold text and imagery, showcasing the PS5 giveaway and a call-to-action to inquire about the offer.
    • Lead Ads: Used Facebook and Instagram lead forms to capture contact details directly on the platform, making it easy for interested users to inquire without leaving the app.
  • Targeting:
    • Demographics: Focused on ages 20-35, specifically targeting young professionals, new car buyers, and gaming enthusiasts.
    • Interests: Targeted interests included gaming, technology, PlayStation, and vehicle shopping.
    • Geo-Targeting: Limited to Southern Ontario, ensuring local relevance and encouraging visits to nearby dealerships.
  • Example Ad Script:
    • Carousel Ad Copy: “Ready to drive home a deal? Buy a car and score a FREE PS5 with an extended warranty! 🚗 + 🎮 = ❤️ Limited stock, act fast! Swipe to see more.”
    • Story Ad Copy: “Get the PS5 you can’t find anywhere else, FREE with your car purchase! Visit AutoPlanet for the ultimate deal. Offer ends soon!”
  • Performance Highlights:
    • Average reach per month: 350,000 users.
    • High engagement on story ads with a CTR of 4.8%.
    • CPL for Facebook and Instagram averaged $70, outperforming our target

TikTok:

• • Ad Formats:
    • In-Feed Video Ads: Short, catchy videos featuring the PS5 alongside popular car models. The videos showed young customers celebrating their new cars and gaming consoles, capturing excitement and showcasing the value of the offer.
    • Spark Ads: Boosted user-generated content from customers who shared videos of their new cars and PS5s, creating an authentic connection with the audience.
    • Hashtag Challenge: Launched a hashtag challenge, #AutoPlanetPS5Drive, encouraging users to share videos of why they wanted the PS5, generating buzz and engagement around the campaign.
  • Targeting:
    • Demographic Targeting: Targeted users aged 20-35 with interests in gaming, technology, and first-time car buying.
    • Interest-Based Targeting: Interests included gaming consoles, PlayStation, and technology, as well as automotive content.
    • Geo-Targeting: Focused on Southern Ontario to ensure maximum relevance.
  • Example Ad Script
    • In-Feed Video Ad Copy: “Dreaming of a PS5? AutoPlanet has got you! Buy a car, and take home a PS5 + extended warranty. Hurry, limited stock only! #AutoPlanetPS5Drive”
    • Spark Ad Caption: “Check out [Customer Name] driving home with a new car and PS5! Get yours before we run out! #AutoPlanetPS5Drive”
  • Performance Highlights:
    • Average reach per month: 400,000 users.
    • The hashtag challenge saw over 150,000 interactions, building excitement and social proof around the offer.
    • In-feed video ads had an average CTR of 6%, with CPL on TikTok around $75, delivering strong ROI.

 Spotify:

• • Ad Formats:
    • Audio Ads: Created a 30-second audio spot capturing the excitement of buying a car and getting a free PS5. The script emphasised the exclusivity of the offer and encouraged listeners to act fast.
    • Sponsored Playlists: Sponsored popular gaming playlists to reach listeners with a strong interest in gaming, enhancing relevance.
  • Targeting:
    • Demographic Targeting: Focused on listeners aged 20-35, including young professionals and college students.
    • Interest-Based Targeting: Interests included gaming, technology, and those with a history of listening to automotive-related content.
    • Geo-Targeting: Limited to Southern Ontario.
  • Example Ad Script
    • Audio Ad Script: “Are you ready to score big? Get the all-new PS5 FREE when you buy a car at AutoPlanet! Plus, you’ll drive away with an extended warranty at no extra cost. Visit AutoPlanet to make it happen, but hurry—this exclusive offer is available for a limited time only!”
    • Sponsored Playlist Message: “Listen to your favorite gaming tracks, brought to you by AutoPlanet. Drive home a car and a PS5 today!”
  • Performance Highlights:
    • Average reach per month: 250,000 listeners.
    • Audio ads achieved an impression-to-visit rate of 3%, generating increased traffic to the dealership.
    • Spotify contributed to overall campaign awareness, with a CPL of around $85.

Results:

The campaign was a resounding success, generating an average of 300 leads per month with an average CPL of $73, well below the target of $80.

• • Total Leads: Over 1,800 leads were generated throughout the campaign.
  • Conversion Rate: The combination of the PS5 and extended warranty attracted young buyers in record numbers, translating into higher-than-expected car sales.
  • Brand Awareness: The promotion made AutoPlanet a hot topic among young car buyers, enhancing brand recognition and generating excitement across social channels.

Key Takeaways and Best Practices:

• Leveraging Scarcity and Exclusivity: Promoting a hard-to-get item like the PS5 with a car purchase created an exclusive appeal, capitalizing on the excitement surrounding the PS5 launch.
• Cross-Platform Consistency: A unified message across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Spotify amplified the campaign, ensuring the offer reached the maximum number of potential buyers.
• Engaging Ad Formats: Carousel, video, and lead ads worked well to showcase the PS5 and car offer while making it easy for users to inquire.
• High-Impact Audience Targeting: By using demographic and interest targeting focused on younger, tech-savvy audiences, we reached a highly relevant segment, boosting lead quality and conversion potential.

Conclusion:

This Paid Social Media Campaign exceeded expectations by combining high-demand incentives with targeted ads across platforms. The PS5 offer resonated strongly with the younger demographic, driving both engagement and conversions. By tapping into cultural relevance and exclusivity, AutoPlanet successfully captured attention and generated significant leads, ultimately positioning itself as a top dealership for young buyers in Southern Ontario. This campaign exemplifies the effectiveness of aligning product offerings with customer interests to achieve impactful results.