Chevy Silverado HD "Max & Al" Digital Campaign

11/1/2010

To position the Chevy Silverado HD against the Ford Super Duty’s all-new PowerStroke diesel engine, we created Max & Al — a personification of the Duramax Diesel engine and Allison transmission powertrain, brought to life by Patrick Warburton and Craig Robinson. This fully integrated digital campaign targeted heavy-duty truck drivers — a predominantly male audience that values proven, long-term dependability. Our message was simple: with a decade of real-world success and over one million miles under its belt, the Duramax + Allison duo had the experience that mattered.

The heart of the campaign was maxandal.com, an entertaining microsite where visitors could explore the lodge, watch episodic content, send tongue-in-cheek “congratulations on your new baby” e-cards to their Ford buddies, and interact with other branded elements. Beyond the site, we expanded the world of Max & Al through a custom Facebook tab on the Silverado HD page, a Facebook/mobile game that let users play as the duo, and a second mobile app designed to help Chevy truck fans “talk smack” to their Ford and RAM friends. We also partnered with Funny or Die to produce exclusive content hosted on their platform.

Supported by rich media banners, mobile ads, and search, the campaign generated significant online buzz, strong earned media impressions…
…and yes, it definitely pissed off Ford fans everywhere.

Awards:

2011 FWA Awards: Mobile of the Day "Max & Al's Heavy Duty"
2011 Web Marketing Association WebAwards: Outstanding Website Award
2011 The D Show (Detroit) Awards: Integrated Branding Finalist, Branded Games Finalist, and Digital Branded Experience Finalist

Campaign Overview
Concept and videos by Jim Feltz and Lew Baker.