In past years, everyone in the automotive resources category had the same message: price and inventory.

Cars.com was determined to differentiate itself by focusing on resources and information for shoppers. Research revealed consumers dread interacting with dealers. Even if someone enjoys car shopping, the buying process is daunting. The strength of Cars.com is it provides user-friendly content that helps shoppers become more informed and confident. Creative executions showcased prepared buyers having positive purchase interactions with dealers. The customers were so prepared they didn’t need their Plan B, an outrageous way to get the car they wanted.

The campaign launched during the Super Bowl. Five television spots ran on network, cable and online video sites, and were supplemented by online and print content. The “Waiting Room” microsite had additional branded content featuring videos of the characters from the TV spots, showcasing their other "services". Users could "hire" these characters as their own Plan B and send to friends. Additionally, a banner campaign helped drive traffic to Cars.com and the microsite. In February alone there were 134 million banner impressions and over 500,000 clicks. Print ads ran in hundreds of newspapers nationwide with over 185 million February impressions.