Carfax 'CAR FOX' Drives Used Car Shoppers to Reputable Dealers in Latest 'Show Me the CARFAX' Ads

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May 19, 2010, 05:24 ET

CENTREVILLE, Va., May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Carfax today announced the launch of a second wave of television ads as part of the national "Show Me the CARFAX" campaign. While many people consider purchasing a car to be highly stressful, the new ads help ease that process by encouraging consumers to shop with used car dealers who offer Carfax Vehicle History Reports.

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Appearing in all of the ads to deliver the message of smarter used car shopping is a spirited new character, the CAR FOX. The spots humorously depict people buying used cars and illustrate how Carfax Reports add confidence to buyers’ decisions. The CAR FOX issues a friendly reminder for consumers to let no deal get finished before researching the car they want by just saying “Show Me the CARFAX." An essential part of the buying process, Carfax Reports are proven to build customer confidence and help cars sell faster, for more money.

“Carfax has done a great job allowing us to take full advantage of the 'Show Me the CARFAX' campaign that attracts customers to our lot,” said Tom Needham, Internet Manager at Larry Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge. “We currently build a packet for every used car that has a copy of the shop bill, an emissions test, a Kelley Blue Book print out of retail price and most important a Carfax Report. We keep these packets in every vehicle so we can disclose everything to each customer during the vehicle presentation. It definitely gives the customer a more secure feeling knowing everything is disclosed up front and has increased our used gross average.”

The CAR FOX debuted in one of the original "Show Me the CARFAX" campaign ads as a puppet, but now comes to life and appears whenever consumers and dealers are brought together. He’s also seen on every Carfax Report and throughout the carfax.com Web site, emphasizing the importance of a Carfax Report to the buying process.

“We display Carfax throughout our Turnersville Kia dealership,” said Michael Burgo, General Manager at Turnersville Kia. “Since everyone is already saying 'Show Me the CARFAX,' this really helps to build our customers’ confidence. We use the Carfax Report as a selling tool as well as a buying tool. We are able to protect our customers by showing them the vehicle’s history as well as disclose if the vehicle had any accidents or if an airbag deployed. In addition, we can adjust the ACV of the vehicle based on the vehicle’s history.”

In this recovering economy, it’s even more important for used car shoppers to know who they’re buying from as well as what they’re buying. Carfax will provide free marketing materials for dealers featuring the CAR FOX. A resource kit also will be available for dealers wanting to include the CAR FOX and the "Show Me the CARFAX" message into their own advertising.

“Used car shoppers want reassurance that they’re making a smart buying decision,” said Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax. “Free Carfax Reports linked to vehicles listed for sale online greatly influence a buyer's dealership choice and were viewed more than 85 million times last year alone. We expect that teaming up the CAR FOX with reputable dealers will boost customer traffic and help them close more deals. He’s lending a helping hand, or paw, to give buyers what they need to sign on the dotted line.”

A full-scale social media campaign is under way, including the CAR FOX’s very own personal page on Facebook and Twitter feed. Carfax posted all of the new ads to the company’s Facebook page, the Carfax channel on YouTube and other social media outlets. The new and original “Show Me the CARFAX” ads also can be viewed at the company’s Web site, carfax.com.

About Carfax (www.carfax.com)

Millions of used car buyers and sellers each year rely on Carfax, the most trusted provider of vehicle history information. Using the unique 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN) found on vehicle dashboards and title documents, Carfax instantly generates a detailed Vehicle History Report on any used car or light truck. Carfax Vehicle History Reports™ provide valuable information that helps used car buyers and sellers make better decisions. For more information or to become a Carfax-subscribing dealer, visit www.carfaxonline.com

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Larry Gamache

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SOURCE Carfax