Tie-ins with upcoming movie releases are becoming an advertising trend, capitalising on the broad appeal, especially of already established movie franchises as well as the massive marketing budgets behind them.  

The latest is by CarMax, a tie in with Warner Bros. Pictures’ release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel to the 1988 hit, Beetlejuice, on September 6. BeetleMax: The Way Car Buying Shouldn’t Be by The Martin Agency is horror and humour wrapped into blockbuster movie appeal.  

The hero spot is a nightmarish 90-second about a family’s experience with the BeetleMax car dealership, that features nods to the original film characters from the sequel and a twist on Harry Belafonte’s famous song, Day-O.

The lavishly produced commercial was directed by Ulf Johansson with costumes designed by Academy Award-winner, Colleen Atwood.

The campaign began with a series of teasers in social media and includes 60- and 30-second cutdowns of the hero film. It will run across national TV in the US, online video and social media through October 10.