TL;DR: Car seller Carvana is no stranger to showing off its corporate sense of humor. Wanting to create buzz with social media influencers and media outlets, Carvana partnered with Boundless to create a “New Car Smell” perfume.
overview
Carvana is no stranger to surprising customers with its quirks and sense of humor. Afterall, the car sales company was launched in 2012 as a way to help customers avoid the hassles of the car-buying experience by putting their cars in a vending machine.
strategy & goals
With that sense of humor in mind, the company was trying to create buzz among social media influencers and media outlets in a new way. Carvana partnered with Boundless Brand Consultant, Theresa Roberts, to create a custom-designed fragrance that came in a branded bottle and retail perfume box.
“Carvana cares about quality customer experiences and Boundless helps us find quality items that play a big role in that customer experience. We wouldn’t trade the Boundless team for anything.” — Kristin Dunmyre, Brand Designer, Carvana
results
The eau de car perfume was drop-shipped to influencers around the country and coincided with a commercial spot featuring the perfume: “The New Way to Buy a Car Smell.” The creative ingredients list included: “sage and bamboo for wisdom, prosperity, and saving your money,” “the single tear of a car salesman that captures how they feel when their commission checks go away,” and “deep notes of freedom because you ditched the dealership.”
conclusion
The blitz was so popular that Carvana eventually began putting the perfume inside cars for customers to try for themselves. The company that shook up the car-buying industry found a way to re-create the “new car smell” while reminding influencers and customers that buying a car can still be fun.
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