Autotrader has been helping Britons buy and sell cars for almost half a century and more than 10 million people every year use the platform to find their next vehicle. With over 430,000 used and around 24,000 new cars listed at any one time, it’s long been the country’s most trusted car marketplace.
But as Autotrader Head of Brand Rox Nejad admits, heritage can be both a blessing and a barrier when trying to drive a company’s vision into a new era.
“Historically, people have seen Autotrader as a used-car marketplace,” she says. “But for years we’ve been facilitating millions of customers to buy brand-new cars and lease vehicles too. The goal now is to deliver a broader message – that Autotrader is the go-to destination for car buying in general.”
That shift is captured in the brand’s new long-term platform, ‘It’s Time for Autotrader’, developed with Leeds-based agency IMA. The project aims to modernise perceptions, making AutoTrader the obvious choice for a new generation of car buyers, in particular those aged 25–34, who are confident with technology but often less so with car buying.
A long-term platform, not just a campaign
When the company announced the launch of the platform earlier this autumn, it was careful to stress the difference between a one-off campaign and a longer-term brand strategy.
“What’s the difference between a campaign or a platform depends on who you ask,” laughs Adam Knott, Head of Strategy at IMA. “For us it’s about long-termism – putting a stake in the ground to say this brand stands for something consistent and relatable. The ambition is for this to be a platform that wears in rather than wears out.”
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That phrase – “wears in rather than wears out” – has already become something of a mantra inside Autotrader. “A lot of brands launch new ideas that burn bright and then fade,” says Nejad. “We wanted something we could build upon, rather than something we’d need to replace.”
Shifting perceptions
Under the bonnet, Autotrader has been operating like a technology company for years. But externally, many still see it as a traditional listings site.
“We’re a tech business,” Nejad says. “We’re innovative and forward-thinking, but the perception gap was that we were still this quite traditional brand. Consumer expectations have changed – they want flexible, digital-first experiences – so this is about shifting from being seen as a heritage name to being recognised as a modern, innovative company.”
Knott agrees. “When we first started working with Autotrader, we were bowled over by the kind of business it actually is – a thriving, vibrant tech company. But if you build your communications purely around correcting misconceptions, you end up sounding defensive. So the job wasn’t to tell people, ‘We’re a tech company now’; it was to show that through consistent behaviour and tone over time.”
‘It’s time’ moments
That approach comes to life through the campaign’s creative work, which launched across digital, out-of-home, radio, and social channels this autumn. It focuses on relatable “it’s time” moments. Things like a new baby on the way, a house move, a long commute, an overheated summer drive, or simply spotting a car you love at the lights.
Each moment captures that familiar spark when people realise they might need a new car – or at least one that’s new to them. “Every time you want or need a new car, it doesn’t have to mean brand-new,” says Ben Ducker, IMA’s Executive Creative Director. “It’s about what’s new to you, your life stage, and your needs.”
The creative rollout is designed to reach 96 percent of UK adults aged 25–34, embedding Autotrader into their everyday media environment. The brand is appearing on some of the country’s biggest radio stations and podcasts – from Capital Dance to The Therapy Crouch – as well as high-impact outdoor sites like the Salford Arch in Manchester and the Bullring in Birmingham.
Balancing modernisation and heritage
For Ducker, the challenge was how to modernise a brand everyone already knows without losing what made it trustworthy. “Heritage means different things depending on your sector,” he says. “Autotrader has been around a long time in automotive, but automotive itself has changed massively in those 50 years. The challenge was translating that experience so it doesn’t feel inaccessible”
Knott adds: “Autotrader’s been at the forefront of every big change in car buying – from print to digital, from desktop to mobile. The new platform had to capture that same pioneering spirit in how the brand looks, feels, and behaves today.”
Internal momentum and early impact
Internally, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. “It’s given our teams a consistent way to express what the brand stands for,” says Nejad. “And it’s given us the space to be bolder. We’re the clear market leader – the biggest marketplace with the most choice – but we’ve often been quite humble in how we communicate that. This platform lets us own that position with confidence.”
Externally, early results are encouraging, with increased site visits since launch and strong engagement from younger audiences. The next wave of work will build on seasonal moments – such as winter driving and the new-year car-buying rush – to keep the message fresh while reinforcing long-term consistency.
A blueprint for brand evolution
For IMA, the collaboration offers lessons for any established brand facing the tension between legacy and change. “You don’t change perceptions by arguing with people,” says Knott. “You change them by showing up differently, consistently, over time.”
Ducker agrees. “The key is not to start over, but to build on what’s already true. This platform gives Autotrader the foundation to keep evolving without losing what makes it trusted.”
As Nejad puts it, “When people think about buying a car – any car – we want them to think of Autotrader first.”
