# Empowering Car Ads CarMax's New Ad Campaign Takes a Witty Approach By Ell Smith | Published 2024-01-03 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/carmax1 References: [musebycl.io](https://musebycl.io/film-tv/jessica-williams-climbs-bathtub-carmax)  CarMax is ushering in the new year with a [bold campaign](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/which-launches-a-festive-campaign) that encourages consumers never to settle, particularly when it comes to the often daunting and deflating experience of buying a car. One of the ad spots within this series stars Emmy-nominated actor and comedian Jessica Williams who demands different industries apply the same transparency and customer-centricity as CarMax. For example, she takes a bubble bath in a home goods showroom, comparing the move to [test driving a vehicle](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/electric-capri). She then demands to know the price of a menu item listed as 'market price' citing CarMax's upfront pricing. With humor and wit, CarMax aims to transform the [car-buying narrative](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/2027-telluride-suv), turning it into an empowering journey rather than a daunting task. Image Credit: CarMax ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.0/10 - Popularity: 43% | Activity: 57% | Freshness: 20% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Transparency in Consumer Experience:** CarMax's new ad campaign highlights the importance of transparency and customer-centricity in various industries, encouraging businesses to provide upfront pricing and information to empower consumers. - **Empowering Car Buyers:** CarMax's witty approach aims to transform the car-buying narrative, empowering consumers to confidently navigate the process and demand better experiences. - **Humor in Advertising:** CarMax's bold and humorous ad campaign showcases the potential of using humor to engage and captivate audiences, providing an opportunity for other brands to experiment with this approach. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Automotive:** CarMax's approach to empowering car buyers presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in the automotive industry by reimagining the car-buying experience and emphasizing transparency. - **Retail/e-commerce:** CarMax's call for transparency and upfront pricing can push the retail and e-commerce industries to prioritize clear and honest communication with customers, offering a disruptive innovation opportunity. - **Advertising/marketing:** CarMax's use of humor and wit in their ad campaign demonstrates the potential for disruptive innovation in the advertising and marketing industry by capturing attention and transforming narratives. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Reality-Bending Car Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cargurus-latest-ad.md) - [Online Car Retailer Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/clutch-ad.md) - [Influencer-Starring Car Commercials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/toyota-2.md) - [Online Car Retailer Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/deflate-the-dealership.md) - [Changemaker Automotive Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ford-explorer-mens-only-edition.md) - [Adventure-Inspired Auto Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/made-for-what-youre-made-of.md) - [Humorous Automotive Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/where-have-you-been.md) - [Cheeky Wireless Service Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nada-yada-yada.md) - [Cheeky Auto Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/he-got-money.md)