Armor All brings the shine back to abandoned cars

Car cleaning product company Armor All has turned abandoned vehicles into an unconventional outdoor advertising medium to showcase the power of its products in a new campaign. 

The campaign, “Reviving Rides”, saw Armor All’s teams of detailers turning grimy abandoned cars into clean, shiny, and brand-new looking cars, using only the brand’s products.

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At the end of each treatment, each vehicle displayed a large orange sticker emblazoned with the phrase, “Ride Revived by Armor All”. The stickers were strategically positioned to showcase a section of the car’s original condition, drawing attention to the transformation.

Armor All aimed to showcase the effectiveness of its cleaning products by restoring the shine of abandoned cars, pushing the message that its products are equally capable of rejuvenating the appearance of owned vehicles.

Malaysia has over 11.4 million abandoned cars, according to Havas Malaysia. These cars, covered in dirt and grime, are neglected on roadsides and in parking lots of malls, offices, and apartments. This created the opportunity of an unconventional outdoor advertising medium to showcase the power of Armor All’s products.

On top of the outdoor medium, the campaign is also being activated through a social media video to increase awareness.

“While our products enjoy broad visibility through our retail partners, we sought a medium that would unequivocally prove the efficacy of our products. The use of tangible evidence proved to be an effective way to achieve this goal,” said Aaron Abner Ang, head of marketing for Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia at Energizer Holdings, which owns Armor All.

“These revived cars offer us a unique opportunity to raise awareness and bolster our brand's credibility," Ang added.

“The use of old, abandoned cars helps to amplify and dramatise the efficacy of Armor All’s products,” said Donevan Chew, chief creative officer of Havas Malaysia. “There's no better way to convince car owners of the efficacy of their products than by showcasing the results right before their eyes.”

Cars have been the object of innovative advertising campaigns of late. In October 2023, Singapore-based online used car marketplace, Carro, released three short videos parodying typical drama cliches. By tapping into family drama cliches and horror tropes, Carro aimed to highlight that the theatrics were only confined to its advertising material, while its used cars provided a fuss-free experience for its customers.

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