WWE Superstar, actor and car enthusiast John Cena brings his unique style of approachable humor to the new “Fear Nothing” ad campaign for Armor All from Merkley+Partners that looks to shake up the automotive appearance category and energize the brand.
Armor All, a brand of the Global Auto Care division of Spectrum Brands Holdings, has been one of the category leaders for more than 50 years due to continual product innovation and expansion, th company says. This new campaign reflects the brand’s focus on innovation by disrupting the car care appearance category status quo, using humor and a global celebrity in John Cena to target a younger demographic.
The “Fear Nothing” campaign breaks today with three 30-second cable TV and online video spots for its Armor All Original Protectant, Ultra Shine Wash Wipes and new line of Car Air Fresheners. The spots feature Cena and comic sidekick “Hank,” played by actor Justin Dray, with the tag lines “It’s easy to look good” and “It’s easy to smell good.”
The first two campaign spots are “Mood” (youtu.be/NvHulA4ysrc) and “Touch” (youtu.be/wL6KCye60V4), with a third commercial breaking soon.
The company says the partnership works because John Cena is a real-life car enthusiast and high-profile global celebrity. “I’ve always been a big car guy, and Armor All has kept them looking good. So when they reached out, it just made sense,” said Cena.
“The partnership with John Cena aligns two brands speaking enthusiastically and credibly to auto care enthusiasts,” said Jamie Kistner, vice president of marketing, Spectrum Brands Global Auto Care division. “John’s personal passion for cars, use of Armor All products and universal appeal made him the obvious choice to represent the brand. We’re very excited to make him part of the Armor All family.”
“John Cena has an approachable personality that’s ideally suited to poking a little bit of fun at himself,” said Alex Gellert, CEO, Merkley+Partners in New York, part of Omnicom Group. “This made for a campaign that’s funny, entertaining and, most importantly, on-brand.”
Merkley+Partners also handles STP and A/C PRO, two other major brands within the Spectrum Brands Global Auto Care division.
