In 2015, the automotive category was beginning to emerge from a years-long slump, with millennials starting to purchase cars. However, research also revealed that this growth was happening mostly among suburban millennials. Young urbanites remained resolutely uninterested in cars.

Chevrolet and McCann Canada developed a deeper understanding of millennials, doing a full contextual analysis and examining how they felt about technology. Mobile technology was a consistent topic of interest among millennials, and research showed that they want to talk to their cars, just like they talk to Siri.

With this insight, Chevrolet decided to put focus on the Spark model's advanced technology and promote the vehicle as if it were a new smartphone.

The brand launched an online, social and traditional media teaser campaign, with a countdown in the form of a giant box, placed in high-traffic mall locations across the country. The box looked like the packaging for a new smartphone. Chevrolet also worked with Canadian tech celebrities and bloggers to host a public "unboxing" live-streamed on YouTube and Periscope.

The big moment revealed the ew piece of mobile tech – a Chevrolet Spark vehicle. Once the secret was out, the brand encouraged people try the Spark's Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and experience why Spark is "The Ultimate Mobile Device." It also parked a Spark vehicle amongst the smartphones inside a Best Buy store.

The campaign generated almost 250,000 website views. #SparkMobile trended at #2 on Twitter, exceeded only by #DonaldTrump. Vehicle sales significantly over indexed against aggressive forecasts – 22% ahead of the goal (at a time when the automotive industry was growing at less than 2% a year).