The Car Dealership Content Trailblazer

Earlier this month, showroom shoppers at Mohawk Chevrolet shoe-clacked from Trax to Traverse in search of a new whip. Nine miles north in Saratoga Springs, thoroughbreds thundered through the Belmont Stakes, unaware of the brand horsepower running just down the road.

For Grace Kerber, it was just another Saturday. As a Digital Branding Creator for Mohawk, Grace spends her days at the suburban dealership jockeying for brand position amongst her automotive peers — and, perhaps that day, wondered when her creative rubber would finally hit the road. Little could she have known that her efforts wouldn’t go unnoticed for long.

(Phew — jockeying, whip, horsepower, suburban, for long / furlong — that’s enough heavy-handed wordplay for two paragraphs. Now it’s time to saddle up for the story.)

If you have no idea what I’m talking about yet: good. Welcome to On Brand Content, a newsletter which aims to curate and comment on branded content across the internet that just feels right. Whether it be a short-form video, a podcast, or otherwise — the goal is to offer inspiration for how you, the reader (hopefully a marketer in your own right) can creatively showcase your brand to build attention, authority, and high-stakes relationships with your audience.

Back to the story. In February 2024, Grace published the first scenes of The Dealership, a short-form video series playfully parodying life at a car dealership. Four months later, an episode of that series exploded on TikTok, sending Mohawk to the top of car-lovers’ feeds everywhere.

@mohawkchevrolet

Episode 5 of The Dealership "Lemme drive the rado'"🛻 **Based off a true story #MohawkChevrolet #TogetherLetsDrive #CarBravo #UpstateNY #Sa... See more

The series, now playlisted by the brand on its TikTok page, has raced to over 4 million views — not to mention its halo impact on the brand’s other videos (from averaging 1000-2000 views in early 2024, to 80-100k views for other recent posts).

Comments glow: “Never fire this marketing team.” “I think the marketing team may be a bit overqualified for dealership work.” “The marketing team deserves a raise for this one.

Why does this work so well? I’ve got a few reasons:

• Nostalgia marketing hits, especially right now. There’s a reason Inc noted it as a key branding trend for 2024. The Office, with its deep following, leaves today’s viewers yearning for simpler times — laying an approachable foundation for this follow-on look-in at dealership life.

  • For a more raucous peek at the underbelly of automotive retail, you may be taken with the irreverent Shane Gillis’ Tires — here’s the trailer for the Netflix series, which premiered last month.

• The production follows the setting. Notice the muted coloring and hushed soundscape through the interior shots, reflecting a typical dealership — we don’t get a drop of ambient noise until the characters step outside, and our first splash of especially vibrant color spills after the video’s halfway point.

• The acting talent is undeniable — and indeed, maybe is overqualified for any individual brand to have on their roster. Grace carries this series, and is the glue. Her character may be Knope-inspired, but she has this viewer saying “yep” to more episodes.

In a period where dealership marketing plods droopily along with tired TV commercials on one end, and flirts with the gross on social media on the other (watch the below example, if you dare), Mohawk Chevrolet is a trailblazer. It’s the best car dealership / parody content this Baltimore-based author has seen since the infamous, obscenity-laced Big Bill Hell’s spot.

This author recommends other businesses follow in Mohawk’s tire treads…or risk eating dust.

Adam

Adam Conner, author of the On Brand Content newsletter, is the founder of Authentic Avenue, a B2B media production company.

PS: the less-than-appetizing example referenced above.

@justin.thecarsalesman

Lowest prices around 😎 #car #carsalesman #carsoftiktok #carsales #dealershiplife #dealership #fy #fypage #foryou #fypシ゚viral #viral #baby... See more