New Subaru Ascent ad campaign focuses on family, size and safety

Subaru of America launched its national ad campaign for the 2019 Ascent, giving the three-row crossover emotional TV spots that follow the footsteps of other models.

The three commercials, whether in a 30- or 60-second format, center around families and the Ascent's size, capability and safety. The spots began airing Monday.

Subaru worked with longtime partner Carmichael Lynch for the commercials, which were directed by Martin De Thurah.

"Subaru has a bit of an identity," Alan Bethke, Subaru of America's senior vice president of marketing told Automotive News. "And the identity is safety, longevity and capability. This new Ascent is a Subaru, it comes from Subaru. It gives you all of the brand's DNA that you want."

The Ascent, which went on sale in June, put the automaker back into the three-row crossover segment, a space that Subaru hadn't been in since the Tribeca went away in 2014.

Subaru has sold 10,721 Ascents in the U.S. through August. The automaker is fresh off its best U.S. sales month to date, and the Ascent is seen as a key driver for Subaru's growth going forward.

The Ascent was highlighted in the brand's latest dog-centric campaign, featuring the Barkleys family of dogs, that launched earlier this year.

In "Dream Big," a family of four sets out to find a mountainous overlook deep in the woods. At the beginning of the drive, the teenage daughter is focused on her phone, but by the end of it, she joins the rest of her family taking in the scenic views.

The "Big Day Out" spot begins with a young girl skipping into an Ascent full of her family. They go about spending a day's worth of family activities, but when the Ascent returns to her driveway, it's shown that the young girl is actually a grandmother. She shares a tender moment with her son as he walks her to her doorstep.

In "Important Moments," the scene begins with a family driving. The car in front of them slams on its brakes after a delivery truck has cut out in front of it. As the Ascent's pre-collision braking system begins to work, the father sees happy moments of the family flash before him. As the moments go by, the system's beeping continues. The clip then cuts back to the tense moment at hand, showing that the system stopped the Ascent from a crash.

Subaru also has 15- and 6-second digital spots that will live as pre-roll to video content online.

This is the first time the automaker has implemented 6-second spots online, Bethke noted. Each one focuses on one feature of the vehicle, ranging from the number of USB ports to towing capacity.