Finding the right car could be as easy as ordering food from the drive-thru, according to Drive’s latest campaign.
In a partnership with Nine’s broadcast of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, Drive is targetting future car-buying Australians tuning into the major sporting event.
The new multi-million-dollar brand campaign launched during Nine’s highly anticipated broadcast of the Olympic Winter Games which kicked off on 6 February.
The high-impact campaign leverages the universally loved “drive-thru” concept, serving up a fun and simple message that finding and buying a car can be as easy as heading to drive.com.au.
The brief to duo Joel Pearson and Craig Brooks, founders of creative studio Not Bad Pretty Good, was to create a relatable mass market campaign that brought to life Drives’ brand purpose, “The joy of discovering the right car” and to attract new audiences to research and shop for their next car on Drive.
“There is nothing more joyful than driving your new car, even if it is someone else’s old car, but the process of buying that car often feels painful. We wanted to dramatise how easily DRIVE helps you find and buy the right car for your needs, right now,” the pair said.
“To bring that to life we looked for a clear visual metaphor that could show the leap from problem to solution, old car to new. A drive-thru gave us a clean and fun way to do that; a simple and memorable concept that easily flexes across channels.”
As a broadcast partner for Milano Cortina 2026, Nine’s coverage provides the perfect launch platform for “Drive-thru” putting the brand squarely in front of millions of mainstream viewers.
“In 2026 Drive will celebrate its 30-year anniversary. Launching an engaging new brand campaign via our broadcast sponsorship of Nine’s Olympic Winter Games coverage presented a unique opportunity for Drive to connect with new audiences,” said Leonora McEwen, Drive Marketing Director.
“Drive has long been regarded as a leading automotive editorial resource for car buying Australians, who can now also shop for new and quality used cars for sale, all under one roof on drive.com.au”.
“The playful human narratives within the campaign, including a family needing more space, to a mature couple in desperate need to upgrade their older car, are highly relatable scenarios of the moments when people know it’s time to make their next car move. Drive is the perfect resource to help every type of car buyer find and buy the car that’s right for them” McEwen said.
Drive CEO Simon Halfhide added: “2026 is an exciting time for our brand. Drive is a complete car-buying destination, now with over 55,000 listings and marketplace features designed to simplify the search. We’re more committed than ever to making it easier for Australians to find and buy their next car.”
The multi-channel campaign will run on broadcast TV, BVOD, print, radio and digital media formats and was produced by Nine Powered studios, with TVC’s Directed by Jeremy Goodall.
CREDITS
Client: Drive
Simon Halfhide: CEO, Drive
Leonora McEwen – Marketing Director, Drive
Sidney Kan – Marketing Manager, Drive
Agency: Not Bad Pretty Good
Creatives: Joel Pearson & Craig Brooks
Production: Kristy Fransen
Production Co: Powered Studios
Director: Jeremy Goodall
Senior Producer: Tom Low
Stills Production: Qube
Photographer: Lawrence Furzey
Executive Producer: Emma Scott
Music: Ash Gordon
Media: Nine
Head of Media and Partnerships – Jared West
Media & Partnerships Executive: Joaquin Esquivel
