Hearst Magazines and PMG Reintroduce Car and Driver, Focusing on Guidance as Car Buying Grows More Complex

Hearst Magazines this week announced the launch of a new national, multi-platform advertising campaign for Car and Driver, developed in partnership with PMG, Hearst’s media and creative agency of record. The campaign marks a strategic evolution for the iconic automotive brand, leveraging its legacy of authority and trust with enthusiasts to meet the changing needs of today’s modern car buyer.

Titled Our Obsession Is Your Confidence, the campaign positions Car and Driver as a trusted partner in an increasingly complex and stressful car-buying process. At a time when economic pressure, rising vehicle costs, and information overload have heightened the perceived importance of an already big decision, the work emphasizes Car and Driver’s deep expertise as a source of clarity, reassurance, and empowerment. 

“For 70 years, Car and Driver has been where shoppers come to discover, explore, and make confident car-buying decisions through our data-driven reviews, rankings, and vehicle-research pages,” said Eddie Alterman, Chief Brand and Content Officer of Hearst Autos. “65% of our readers actively engage with our car buying research tools. This campaign translates that trust enthusiasts have placed in Car and Driver for decades to help make car-buying decisions for an even wider array of in-market consumers.”

The campaign is designed to reach growing audiences, particularly women and younger buyers, who are actively researching their next vehicle. These consumers seek utility, transparency, and trust, but can often struggle to identify a definitive source of credible guidance. Car and Driver’s depth of expertise and suite of research tools, including the recently launched Car and Driver Marketplace, uniquely position the brand to close that gap. 

To drive awareness and engagement at scale, the campaign will combine cut-through messaging with targeted audience strategy, rolling out nationally across premium linear and connected TV placements, including Discovery and MotorTrend, alongside streaming video, social, digital video, podcasts, and search. PMG’s Alli is helping power the entire campaign, through the use of audience modeling, media planning, and creative optimization functionality, along with custom dashboard creation for reporting. The brand’s aim is to meet buyers at every stage of the journey, from early inspiration to active research and final decision-making, cementing a presence as a relevant, supportive resource at every step.

“Our challenge was not to reinvent Car and Driver, but to reintroduce it,” said Andrew Harper, executive creative director at PMG. “The obsession, the testing, the standards have always been there. This work makes it clear that all of that expertise is designed to help people feel confident when it matters most.”

This launch represents another milestone in Hearst’s continued investment in building enduring, future-ready brands across its media portfolio. It also marks the latest collaboration between Hearst and PMG, following the launch of campaigns for Hearst Newspapers and Bring A Trailer in 2025.