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Subaru?s new campaign promotes holiday giving through digital video, Snapchat lens

Japanese car manufacturer Subaru is tying in its holiday sales quotient with a charitable cause in a new campaign which pairs four intimate digital video spots with a themed Snapchat engagement.

The campaign is a continuation of the company?s Share the Love program, which is going on its ninth year now. This year, the campaign is centered around a version of Jackie DeShannon?s 1969 hit, ?Put a Little Love in Your Heart,? sung by four beneficiaries of each of the charities Subaru is looking to support with its initiative.

Share the Love
Beginning on Friday, five new spots debuted on traditional media formats, with ancillary targeted digital and social media promotions to come, as well. The campaign introduces four different people sharing their inspiring stories.

One of the spots features Donn, a 96-year-old Southern Californian who relies on Meals on Wheels volunteers to deliver the meals he needs to stay nourished and healthy at home. Another highlights Gabe, an 11-year-old with a passion for the national parks. Make-A-Wish made Gabe's dream of becoming a Park Ranger became a reality.

Others include ?Gunner,? which details the story of how a woman adopted the eponymous dog through the ASPCA to give the neglected animal a second chance at life; and ?Junior Ranger,? a young man?s account of his passion for the National Parks and his dream of one day becoming the Director of the National Park Service.

The initial campaign spot contains a montage of different people singing the song

The spots are available to view on Subaru?s YouTube channel

Additional integrations of the campaign included a nationwide sing-along of Put a Little Love in Your Heart on Good Morning America and a partnership with iHeartRadio to take over an hour of programming in key markets, both occurred on November 18. 

Holiday giving
The campaign will also try to reach out to younger consumers, some of which within the cohort are now reaching an age and income that allows them to buy a car. On Friday, Subaru ran a national Sponsored Lens on Snapchat for Share the Love that triggered the song to be played based on a users facial expressions and movements.

The Share the Love campaign will run from November 17 to January 3, 2017. Subaru will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle purchased or leased to the customer's choice of the four national charities with a minimum guarantee of $250,000.


In keeping with the altruism of the holiday season, Aflac is teaming up with Macy?s for a holiday charity campaign that makes use of social media and branded mobile messaging services to raise awareness for childhood cancer (see story).

And Macy?s, famous for the depth and scope of its holiday campaigns over the years, is running this year?s with a social media component that addresses the Internet?s most toxic corners (see story).