CYPRESS, Calif. – Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) received the fifth annual Driving Engagement Award for the most buzz-worthy social media campaign of 2016. The Chicago Auto Show and Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) recognized Mitsubishi's "Kids Talk Safety" campaign where kids used their imaginations to describe some of the more complex safety features in the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander in their own words. The award was presented in Chicago during the Chicago Auto Show.

The "Kids Talk Safety" campaign targeted in-market buyers and young families looking for a safe vehicle with integrated technology. The campaign contains a series of videos with kids explaining complicated safety features such as Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Forward Collision Mitigation.

"We challenged our social media team to come up with an unexpected campaign that touted the safety features in the 2017 Outlander in an engaging way that broke through the clutter in the social world," said Francine Harsini, senior director, marketing at Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.

"We accepted the challenge and developed a concept around families and kids with their active imaginations," said Kimberly Ito, advertising manager at MMNA. "The social engagement was so effective that our public relations team brought the campaign to life at the Los Angeles Auto Show for some guerrilla PR. Our dealers also leveraged the concept through showroom safety themed coloring books and vehicle window clings."

Auto buyers regularly look to social channels when researching a car purchase, and they are especially interested in safety information. With "Kids Talk Safety," Mitsubishi showcased the 2017 Outlander as the forefront in safety and technology.

"Mitsubishi Motors is known for its safety, but we were confronted with finding a different way of explaining a topic that can often be full of complicated jargon. So we looked at what families care about most when it comes to safety — the kids," said Grant Holland, chief creative officer at Omelet. "They have the ability to break down complicated features in the 2017 Outlander into simple, relatable terms. This campaign was designed to give our smallest passengers a big voice, but it was their imagination and their illustrations that everyone had the most fun with."

The campaign was an overwhelming success. It reached over half a million people organically and garnered an engagement rate three times higher than any previous campaign. Due to the tremendous response the campaign received from consumers and dealers alike, Mitsubishi turned the social media content into a national ad campaign. The "Kids Talk Safety" television spots are currently airing nationally.

About Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.   
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for all research and development, marketing, and sales for Mitsubishi Motors in the United States. MMNA sells sedans and crossovers/SUVs through a network of approximately 360 dealers. MMNA is leading the way in the development of highly efficient, affordably priced new gasoline-powered automobiles while using its industry-leading knowledge in battery electric vehicles to develop future EV and PHEV models. 2017 marks the 100th year of Mitsubishi producing cars. For more information, contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at (888) 560-6672 or visit media.mitsubishicars.com.

About the Chicago Auto Show
The Chicago Auto Show is the largest auto show in North America, spanning more than 1 million square feet of production, concept, and exotic vehicle exhibit space. In addition to hosting multiple world and North American vehicle debuts, the Chicago Auto Show's First Look for Charity raises more than $2.5 million annually for 18 vital Chicago organizations in a single night. The 2017 public show will be Feb. 11-20. For more information, visit www.ChicagoAutoShow.com or www.Facebook.com/ChicagoAutoShow.

About the Chicago Automobile Trade Association
Founded in 1904, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is one of the nation's largest metropolitan dealer organizations. It is comprised of more than 420 franchised new-car dealers and an additional 150 allied members. The group's dealer members employ about 20,000 people in the metropolitan area. The association has produced the world-famous Chicago Auto Show since 1935. For more information please visit www.CATA.info.

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