Revving up Turo’s engine

When Turo came to us, the brand was growing in key urban markets but was not yet a household name. The immediate need was to build brand awareness while clearly explaining what the platform actually does and why it’s a different experience from traditional rental cars.

The team also recognized the work needed to balance education with emotional pull. It had to help audiences understand the product’s capabilities while elevating the experience beyond pure utility.

Our team saw that the vehicle itself was not the hero. The real story was what the right car unlocks in a person’s life. 

The target audience was millennial, travel-enthused, and highly spontaneous. Rather than focusing purely on logistics, the work needed to express momentum and possibility, not just logistics.  This led to the creative north star of magical realism, which allowed the story to remain grounded while introducing moments of visual lift and forward motion.

The strategic unlock was positioning Turo not just as transportation, but as the catalyst that moves someone out of a rut and into action.

Our team developed the “Open Doors to Extraordinary” campaign, using a tightly choreographed narrative to demonstrate both functional breadth and emotional impact.

We structured the story around a creator stuck in a rut who rents a vehicle, sets off on a road trip, and ultimately finds renewed creative momentum. The car became the device that drives the story forward.

To ensure clarity and craft:

• Our team embedded product education directly into the narrative so viewers could quickly understand the platform’s flexibility
• Our directors used magical realism to introduce moments of visual lift while keeping the world believable
• We built detailed animatics early to pressure-test pacing and transitions before production
• We engineered seamless transitions to keep the film cohesive and premium in feel

By clearly demonstrating what Turo enables while elevating the emotional experience, the campaign drove strong brand momentum. 

The work delivered a remarkable ad recall, with 70% of TV viewers highly likely to book with Turo, contributing to a 20% increase in awareness KPIs. Additionally, Turo’s brand equity score surged by 50%, helping solidify the app’s pole position in the category. 

The spot aired for an extended period and helped strengthen the ongoing relationship between our team and the brand.