Even among discount rental agencies, Budget Rent a Car was an afterthought. There was Dollar, Thrifty, even Rent a Reck making the low end of the market cluttered. With a visionary CEO intent on transforming the brand, they invested heavily in hot new cars and trucks, to compete with the premium brands. Key to the success was using unforgettable off-beat humor to break viewers' routine thinking about rental cars being beige Tauruses with zero personality.
Sure, this campaign is from 2000. But if you google "Budget Rent a Car commercial" this campaign is still the top hit, 20+ years later. That's the power of an incredible idea. And a Big Wheel getting plowed by a city bus.
