It's time to trust your dealer.
How we took Combined Motor Holdings' trust campaign from a one-line idea to a 101-page campaign identity, a 60-second TVC, three dealership films and a full rollout across CMH's network of 102 dealerships.
CMH Group represents 36 vehicle brands across 102 dealerships in South Africa. Every one of them meets customers in a different way, and every customer has more choice and more information than ever.
CMH wanted one idea that could run through the whole group: something staff could live by on the showroom floor and customers could see in every ad, poster and post. The campaign had five objectives.
Position CMH as the most trusted automotive group in Africa.
Deepen customer relationships at every touchpoint.
Increase repeat business and lifetime value across the network.
Turn satisfied customers into proud advocates.
Grow market share profitably and sustainably.
We started with a belief, not a slogan. People don't just buy cars; they buy confidence. So Project Trust puts people first and treats trust as something customers experience, not something a brand claims.
Trust isn't just earned. It's experienced.
Purpose. To create remarkable experiences built on trust.
Vision. To be the most trusted automotive group in Africa.
Promise. One promise. One standard. Every time.
We treat people like people.
We say what we mean and do what we say.
We go the extra mile without being asked.
We own the outcome. Every time.
Mapped to the customer journey
The strategy became a 101-page campaign identity system: twelve sections covering the manifesto, messaging, photography, portraits, type, colour and how it all comes to life in a dealership.
Colour
Red for energy and confidence. Black for authority. Grey for sophistication. White for space.
Type
Headlines
Bebas Neue
72/96pt for hero headlines
Body
Inter
Semibold for support, regular for reading
The identity set the rules; the shoot put them to work. Before a camera rolled, we built the TVC as an AI proof of concept, so CMH could see the story, shots and tone and sign it off. The live-action TVC was then shot from that POC, alongside dealership films on the floor of CMH Alberton, Umhlanga and Pinetown with production partner That Video Company.
Shot to the brand book
One hero TVC to launch the campaign, then three dealership films built around the people customers actually meet. Cut for TV, YouTube and social feeds, with Meet the Dealer spin-offs to follow.
From a sunrise walk to the welcome on the showroom floor, the workshop and the handover, the TVC follows the moments that make a dealer worth trusting, and closes on the Trust mark. Shot in live action from the AI proof of concept.
Expert, personalised advice, the right car and a happy drive away, told in three steps.
The service advisors, technicians and team behind every vehicle, and the people who take care of you after the sale.
From the first chat on the floor to the handover with the bow on top.
Every asset was designed to the same system, so a customer sees one campaign whether they're standing in a showroom, reading an email or scrolling past a reel.
campaign assets delivered, plus the identity system that governs them.
What happens next
The campaign is live and building. CMH will track it the way the brand book sets out: Net Promoter Score, repeat business, referrals and staff engagement, alongside the reach and leads from the rollout.
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