Carro reverses hard in regional brand film to show used cars' history

Used car marketplace Carro, has released its first-ever regional brand film "A car’s journey in reverse" to elevate the overall awareness of Carro's brand, services, and values.

Produced by creative agency TBWA\Group Singapore and production houses Applebox Asia, Fuse Adventures in Audio and The Quiet Lab, the ad is launching across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.  Katherine Teo, regional head of marketing, Carro, said, “This campaign is part of our larger regional market expansion plans and our goal is to increase people’s confidence in purchasing a used car – importantly, one from Carro.”

Simond Chew, creative lead, Carro, said, “The purpose of this film is to help build Carro long-term brand vision of trust. At Carro, we will always be truthful about a car’s history - through our rigorous 160-point inspection and high-quality refurbishment process, we ensure that all Carro certified cars sold will be as good as new.”

While used cars have been routinely flagged as the more affordable and sustainable option, there is a lingering perception that there are hidden risks when it comes to buying used cars due to a lack of transparency over their driving and maintenance history. “The intent of the film is to take a step back, literally, to cleverly showcase the bigger picture. When you buy a used car from Carro, it comes with quality assurance,” said Robert Nelk, associate creative director, TBWA\Singapore.

To capture these damages occurring as authentically as possible, scenes in the film were carefully planned down, with numerous footages re-shot to mirror realistic everyday situations. For example, the red Carro was driven into the curb numerous times to trial-and-error for a scratch on the front bumper (that’s not too big and not too small), and was driven over an actual speed bump several times for the perfect milk-shake spill.

“This unique approach demonstrated Carro's pursuit of perfection, attention to detail and pride in their approach when it comes to going the extra mile for car buyers,” said Mark Peeters, associate creative director, TBWA\Singapore.

To fully achieve the film’s vision, a stunt driver brought to life the experience of travelling back in time by driving in reverse, in real time, while the world moved forward.

“By throwing the film into reverse, the story of the car’s history unfolds through the lens of the vehicle’s previous owners — everything from the car’s regular upkeep and maintenance to the unwanted bumps in the road,” said Christopher Hill, film director, AppleBox Asia. The film includes scenes of potential damage to the interior and exterior of the car, showing that if there are any defects, Carro finds and fixes them, restoring the car to a condition that’s as good as new.

The film comes shortly after Carro investing US$53.8 million into Mitra Pinasthika Mustika (MPMX), an Indonesian consumer automotive and transportation company, to become a 50% shareholder of the latter. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, car bidding platform myTukar has rebranded to share the same corporate identity as its parent company, Carro.

The rebranding includes a new look and colour scheme, moving away from the turquoise and grey scheme used previously. It was myTukar's first campaign which launched in July. 

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