Did you see the Adoptable Pets at your Subaru Dealership?

Did anyone else catch this commercial? I don't even own a TV, yet I still managed to see it, somewhere:)



The promo ended on Jan. 2nd, but I still wanted to mention it. The Cherry Hill, NJ-based company allowed it's new-vehicle customers to pick 1 of 5 charities to support, when they purchased their new Subaru vehicle. The charity would then receive a $250 donation from Subaru. Subaru planned to raise $5 million for charities, through this campaign, which is part of their newer brand campaign, "Love. It's What Makes a Subaru, a Subaru."

The charities:
Boys & Girls Club
Habitat for Humanity
Meals On Wheels
the National Wildlife Federation
the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

"In looking for a way to stand out during the December selling period, one of the pieces of research we see is that our customers are socially involved, very involved with supporting their communities--we see that often," says Kevin Mayer, director of marketing communications for the company.

Wes Brown, with L.A.-based marketing lab Iceology, agrees. "They are, in general, more altruistic; they don't like to broadcast it, but they are," he says. "They volunteer a lot and they give a lot."

Tim Mahoney, Subaru's SVP/CMO, said that Subaru has been working with the 5 charities - "We have been working with them to activate, and dealers have been reaching to their local chapters as well, on an ad hoc basis." For example, the ASPCA brought adoptable pets to Subaru dealerships.

Subaru dealerships were also planning to participate by hosting events and projects in their communities.

source: MediaPost article Subaru Leverages Buyers' Philanthropy In Promo
by Karl Greenberg, Monday, November 24, 2008, 4:08 PM