Chevrolet — Test Drive With a Purpose
Transforming a transactional moment into a catalyst for community connection
Cultural Insight & Visibility / Regenerative Brand Design & Innovation / Behavior Change & Cultural Activation
Consumers Don’t Want Transactions. They Want Meaning.
Traditional test drives are predictable, functional, and emotionally flat. They showcase features, but they don’t reflect values. Chevrolet’s research revealed a cultural shift:
People increasingly prefer brands that do good while doing business.
They want interactions that feel purposeful, not perfunctory.
Meanwhile, dealership experiences remained anchored in an old model one that no longer matched consumer expectations or Chevrolet’s own brand mission of “Finding New Roads.”
Cultural truth:
When a brand moment becomes routine, it becomes invisible, unless you reimagine it through purpose.
I — INSIGHT
From Don’t Text and Drive
→ Your Friends Are the Reason You Stop
Chevrolet reframed distracted driving as a peer-driven behavior, not a rational one.
If peers create risk, peers can also create accountability.
The strategic shift: Turn social pressure (the force behind the problem) into the behavior change solution.
Instead of telling teens what to do, the brand gave their peers the power to influence them directly.
This reframe moved the brand from rule-enforcer to relationship enabler — a more culturally resonant position for teen drivers.
R — REFRAME
From “Take a Test Drive” → “Make a Difference”
Chevrolet reframed the test drive from a mechanical demonstration into a moment of impact.
Instead of asking: “How can we show off the car?” They asked: “How can this drive matter?”
This reframe turned mobility into generosity, aligning Chevrolet’s innovation ethos with the growing desire for socially responsible experiences. The test drive became not just a route but a road to meaningful contribution.
I — INTERVENE
Test Drive With a Purpose, Mobility as Community Impact
Chevrolet launched Test Drive With a Purpose, a pilot program in which participants used their test drive kilometers to support causes in their local communities.
During their drive, participants could choose to:
deliver essential goods
visit nonprofits
support local initiatives
perform acts of kindness that met real community needs
What began as a routine dealership moment became a shared act of goodwill, deepening emotional engagement and reinforcing Chevrolet’s social responsibility.
Co-created Through Strategic Foresight Workshops
To build the initiative, we convened workshops with:
dealership partners
behavioral strategists
community organizations
local leaders
These collaborative sessions ensured the program was:
culturally relevant
operationally feasible
emotionally resonant
aligned with Chevrolet’s north star of “Finding New Roads”
By involving stakeholders in the design, the intervention gained legitimacy and long-term support.
Storytelling That Humanized Purpose
Each participant’s experience was captured and shared, highlighting:
the diversity of actions
the emotions of both drivers and recipients
the real social impact facilitated by a simple test drive
The stories turned a pilot into a movement.
S — SUSTAIN
“Chevy’s Test-Drive Experiment Turns Car Shopping Into a Micro-Engine for Social Good”
“Chevrolet Reinvents the Test Drive and Proves Purpose Is the New Performance Feature.”
“A Different Kind of Drive: Chevrolet Pilots Program That Lets Customers Give Back While On the Road.”