Latest / Auto Collabs / Part-Time Actor, Full-Time Brand with Brian Ortega

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Part-Time Actor, Full-Time Brand with Brian Ortega · Auto Collabs

• 0:00
  When we hit play, it says, "Recording in progress" [upbeat music] This is Auto Collabs The only other thing I can think of that it says something in progress is, like, burglary.
• 0:15
  [laughs] Burglary in progress, right? Be like, "Alarms. Burglary in progress." It's recording- "Burglary in progress"...
• 0:23
  which is- [laughs] Sounds like the plot in one of our today's guest's, uh, car commercials or commercials for his dealership.
• 0:29
  Brian Ortega from Valley Hi Toyota has made some of the most outlandish and entertaining commercials that I've ever seen in this industry, period, end of story. He- It's really quite unbelievable how many...
• 0:44
  Th- because they d- I, from what I understand, they do a different full-length commercial every single month.
• 0:50
  Like, every month of the year, they're putting out a 30-second content piece that is not just a script with person staring at a screen saying, "Come on down. Get your next deal" Yeah, right. Right?
• 1:00
  It's, like, got script and production and post-production and creative development and props and, obviously, locations sometimes. It's, it's pretty impressive. To me, it just is inspiring because
• 1:15
  not only are they producing a commercial and going through the whole creative process, these are actually commercials that you would want to watch. Yeah, they're fun. Like, the entertainment factor.
• 1:25
  Like, our, you know, on a, on a past episode when we interviewed Damon, and I made a reference to the pickle commercial 'cause I saw a keynote that Damon Lester gave at one of the, the conferences about how many dealers dressed up, like, like, in an industry- Like a giant pickle?
• 1:39
  [laughs] Yeah, like a giant pickle, and it's like, "You know, our prices can't be beat, and I won't be found in a pickle." And you're like, "Oh, no.
• 1:46
  They're all doing the same thing" [laughs] But they're legitimately, like, Brian's team is legitimately coming up with new, new content.
• 1:52
  And I think it's also inspiring, the fact that he comes into the car business as a guy that's basically doing used car merchandising. Like, he's just taking photos and, and it shows that we a- we have arrived.
• 2:04
  Like, that's the thought that kept coming, uh, that, that keeps coming to my mind as I look at his profile, is we've arrived at the place where we finally understand that there is growth in, in potential in the dealership world in so many different formats.
• 2:18
  True. Well, look, I'm looking forward to an entertaining conversation at the very least. [upbeat music] Hope you enjoy our conversation with Brian Ortega.
• 2:33
  Well, we snatched him literally out of the metaverse. Brian Ortega is here out of metaverse commercial world. Brian, thanks for hanging out with us here on Auto Collabs today. I'm finally here, guys.
• 2:45
  Look, I, I came out, and I made it out, and I got a cool hat. But it doesn't match, you guys. [laughs] Man, I, you know, the hat, though, is, it's, it's very, like, Gilligan's Island. I appreciate that about the hat. Mm.
• 2:57
  But it, it is, it is definitely- Huh... it's not on brand for a SoDo, you know? So [laughs] Hold on. It's okay. I got you. Look at this. Oh, all right. Oh, there it is. [laughs] Man, that's a clean...
• 3:08
  I love the side logo. He's got- It's fresh... if you're listening, he's got this Toyota hat with the nice, like, down and to the left-hand side, right hand if you're looking at it. That's a, that's a clean look.
• 3:19
  I feel that. Stole it from our parts department. I bought it from our parts department. Bought it. [laughs] "I stole it." "I bought it." I said, "Charge sales." [laughs] [laughs] Oh, my goodness, that's amazing.
• 3:30
  Well, if you're not familiar with Brian, and you don't follow him on LinkedIn, just word to the wise, do that first. His name is Brian Ortega.
• 3:37
  And Brian, I'd, I'd love to dig a l- in a little bit because, um, as it goes, what I understand about a lot of creatives in automotive is, is they don't express themselves quite in the way you do.
• 3:48
  So I'm guessing there's some history to the creative side of you that is probably before automotive.
• 3:54
  Can you walk us back into, like, where creative has, has started in your life and how that's transitioned to the, to the auto s- scene? Cut to... Yeah, so I suck in math and, uh, science.
• 4:07
  So, um, when I was growing up, I just used to make videos. And when I was young, we didn't have these, right? So it was, uh, VLX200 Fisher-Price or, uh, you know, your, your aunt's Handycam, something like that.
• 4:25
  So we would always just try to make some videos of us skating or, uh, imitating movies. [laughs] It goes way back. I mean, not- Like recreations, right, we're talking? [laughs] Recreations all the time.
• 4:39
  This all of a sudden- Then I-... makes so much sense. [laughs] Then we, then I went to college, and same thing. Uh, so I said, "Well, I love movies. Uh, let me be a film major." So, uh, it, it wasn't more production.
• 4:52
  It was more like, "Do a 15-page paper on the sound of this movie," right? [laughs] So you're just- You're like, "What am I doing here?" Like, this is- Yeah... terrible. [laughs] This is terrible. Yeah. That's great.
• 5:07
  So you- So-... did you graduate? I did. I did graduate from, uh, UC Santa Barbara with a film degree. And, um, always just made little movies here and there. Nice. Auto was a different thing, right?
• 5:21
  And, um, my GM hired me, Todd, the one in the commercials. And he just said, "Take pictures of used cars." And then we had a social media manager, and he didn't really do much.
• 5:35
  And, um, I just started making videos, and he would put me on deadlines. "Hey, do you have the..." "Dude, this is not my job." [laughs] And then [laughs]
• 5:44
  so, uh, we got really impressed, and we just kept churning stuff out. And that was, like, in 2017, yeah, just- So you started as a photographer at your store, is that... You, you said, like, used car photographer.
• 5:56
  Used car photographer. And that was it. Okay. Wow, okay. So then- Who could, who could write a 15-page dissertation-On the audio and Foley differences between the first and second Star Wars movies.
• 6:09
  [laughs] I'm just thinking of the notes back from the professor being like, "Brian, not every movie needs more fart noises." [laughs] It was, it- Yeah... this was a dissertation on the Pelican briefs. He's like, "Is..."
• 6:23
  [laughs] He's like, "Is it okay I wrote in some suggestions?" [laughs] No, the cool part was, like, I had this crazy, weird class, and she was a crazy, weird professor. [laughs] And we had to do, like, a 10-page paper.
• 6:35
  And, uh, so I did, like, seven pages, and the three I left blank. And I said, "I feel that I did everything and said everything I needed to say."
• 6:44
  And then she wrote at the end, "Right, I'm gonna give you an A, but you're pushing it there, bud." [laughs] Yeah, she's like, "Do not surpass this class you did." [laughs] [laughs] That's amazing. That's amazing.
• 6:55
  You tried to go all flex philosophical. I was all meta, yeah. Yeah. [laughs] Yeah. So when was the first time that you all kind of, like, broke onto the scene of especially the commercial side?
• 7:06
  Because I think that if anyone knows you from, like, LinkedIn or knows Valley Hi Toyota at this point, kind of has a little bit of understanding of the types of commercials and the types of content that you're putting out now.
• 7:15
  But what was, like, what was the icebreaker on that?
• 7:18
  'Cause I can imagine that there's a time where, you know, you've got the social media manager, you're making a couple videos, doing the used car photography, and maybe there's, like- I feel like- Was there a moment where you were like, "This is a thing"...
• 7:28
  I feel like we need to explain for the people who aren't familiar with it. We should.
• 7:32
  Like, Brian, why don't you give us, like, the summation of, like, the top five videos you've made in the last year, your top five favorites. Maybe give us a title and a synopsis. Oh, my gosh. Well, how about I do this?
• 7:46
  How about I just tell you to go to... Uh, it's not showing up. No, no, no, no. No, for the podcast people. We don't know what they're doing. Oh, we, no, no, okay.
• 7:52
  They're walking the dog, and they're jogging, they're riding motorcycles. So let's just start with the Gasquatch. Oh, my gosh. So that- Because Michael Cera likes anything that has the word gas in it, so. [laughs] Yeah.
• 8:04
  Um, so obviously we try to make everything relevant, everything pertaining to what's going on, right? And high gas prices, and, um, so let me break it down now. We have brainstorming sessions. These aren't all me.
• 8:16
  Trust me, they're not. And we just had one yesterday talking about our next zombie commercial, right? For Halloween. And it's really cool 'cause, I mean, you guys get it.
• 8:26
  You just break everything down, everybody bounces ideas, and just s- something pops, right?
• 8:31
  So that one, um, the guy pitching it, he went through a different scenarios, and then just the camping idea, like, really stuck to me.
• 8:40
  And I said, "Hold on, let's, let's go with that one, and let's just make the whole commercial about that." And we wanted to promote- [laughs]... the, the Tundra, right, and, and the hybrid Tundra.
• 8:50
  And it just keeps evolving. So [laughs] and then I was thinking Bigfoot, right? What happens, right? So Bigfoot comes in the story, but he, we're afraid of the actual gas pump, not the monster, right? [laughs] Right.
• 9:06
  [laughs] It's... Oh, my gosh. So- And so, so they're like these mini thematic productions that, that obviously have a theme, they have a relevant theme, and they're scripted. Are they always scripted? Yeah.
• 9:16
  We, we have a bare bones script, and we come in, and then we'll just do stuff off the cuff- All right. So-... uh, if it seems better... I just wanted to give people an idea.
• 9:24
  You had one where you were in the metaverse, and, uh, and obviously your first zombies one.
• 9:28
  So they're kind of, like, creative, um, a little bit bombastic sometimes, and they're made to, to be kind of, like, they're made to be funny. They're made to be larger than life.
• 9:39
  They're made to be outside reality, right? Like, in a kinda sarcastic, tongue in cheek kinda way. Oh, yeah, totally sarcastic, totally cheesy.
• 9:47
  Uh, yesterday, 'cause I'll walk around the dealership, and they're like, "Oh, you really work here?" [laughs] I was like, "Yeah, that's me." [laughs] They're, "You're not some actor." "No, no, no, that's me."
• 9:58
  And I go, "What do you think?" They're like, "Eh." [laughs] I said, "Oh, you don't like them?" [laughs] All right. So- Well, they're kind of, they're kind of cheesy...
• 10:05
  I wanted, I wanted to give a feel, because you have to go watch them now if you're not intrigued enough. You have to go see some of these 'cause they're right to watch.
• 10:12
  Now, Kyle was asking initially before, [laughs] I was like, "Let's just take a segue and explain them a little bit more." You were asking when did those types of videos start? Was that your question? Yeah, yeah.
• 10:21
  When did that type of creative process and, and that thing start? Was there, like, a moment where someone was like, "Let's try this," or that you tried something and everyone liked it?
• 10:30
  Where, how did that kinda come to pass? All right. So, um, we signed up with the, the Spectrum, you know, to do some commercials.
• 10:38
  And initially it was just Todd in the commercials, kind of, you know, straight faced, looking at the camera.
• 10:44
  And, um, I would be in the room with him and tell him, "Hey, on video, you kinda gotta go over the top because it brings it down, right, when you, when you air it."
• 10:55
  So, uh, the team, the crew was kind of looking at me kind of giving Todd direction, and, and, "Hey, say it like this. Do it, you know, with more, uh, fervor."
• 11:03
  And, um, so they started coming up with the idea, and then they pitched us. They were like, "What if you guys do, like, this duo type thing and throughout the commercials?"
• 11:13
  And initially the first ones were, you know, there's a little storyline, cut to the donut, right, talk about the specials, and then, you know, end, end the commercial.
• 11:23
  And then just over time it's just been more of a branding thing, right? We- we've got rid of the, the specials, and kind of, we still have those ads separately, but, you know, we're focusing on the branding.
• 11:36
  H- how long does it take to put together a... Like, I'm watching the one where y'all jumping out of a airplane, and it's cracking me up.
• 11:42
  [laughs] Uh, h- how long does something like that take from start, like, are, are you going through the full production, like storyboarding it? Y- I mean, you kind of alluded to that. Is it full scale production?
• 11:54
  Like, give us a sense of what it takes to actually put something out like that. Yeah. So we'll brainstorm, like I said.
• 12:00
  We'll, we'll kind of get everything set, the timing of do we need other actors, you know, do we need, um, some, um-Some gimmicks. Do we need costumes and all that stuff?
• 12:11
  And then, and then maybe two weeks later, you know, we do the production. And, uh, we either do it at a studio, like the one that you just watched, uh, was green screen, right?
• 12:21
  And, uh, we had props for that, and it's really cool 'cause it looks like it's a parachute, right? It's actually just a backpack and, and some rope that they, that they, uh, finagled together.
• 12:31
  We're on top of a bench, and, uh, they're just rope-draping the green sc- uh, uh, green screen or, uh, fabric over it, right? So I'm just doing a bunch of stuff. Um, and it takes...
• 12:44
  Those take about six hours, um, to do at the studio. And then when we do 'em at the dealership, those take longer, right? You got people walking around. You got, uh, people paging people.
• 12:57
  So it's, it's, it's more hectic there. And come on down. Johnny to, Johnny to the sales tower. Yeah, yeah. [laughs] Johnny to the sales tower. Right. [laughs] People walking through. "Uh, cut, cut." Right?
• 13:07
  [laughs] They're all watching. "We're shooting a commercial here." Yeah. Yeah. It's like, "Hey, guys. Um, could you just not use the intercom for 10 minutes? Uh, we're, we're gonna be recording." "Yeah, no problem.
• 13:17
  No problem, Brian." Uh, [laughs] yeah. No, they don't listen anyway. Lunch is in the lounge room. I repeat, lunch is... [laughs] Yeah, right. Like, "Someone shoot that. Someone shoot that." [laughs] Yeah.
• 13:28
  So, so obviously- And then, then the post-production goes about, uh... It takes about a week for post-production. Who does that? Yeah. Do you do the post? Wow, it's a lot quicker than I was expecting. Yeah. What's that?
• 13:41
  Do you do the post, or do you farm that out- No, oh, no... or you have somebody you like No, no. I, I mean, I do, I do editing, but not to that point.
• 13:47
  I mean, if you haven't seen the behind-the-scenes of the, the, uh, Top Gun commercial, that guy is just amazing.
• 13:54
  You know, what he did was take Google Maps footage and then, you know, put it behind him with the green screen, and it's just amazing what they do. [laughs] Wow. That's awesome.
• 14:05
  So, so you've got, like, that three week... And, and obviously that's a big production. That's a big part of what you're doing as a company.
• 14:11
  But, you know, one of the things that I'm always impressed with, especially with, like, consummate content creators, is that there's also a bunch of micro content that comes either out of that or that's alongside that, that you're doing on a regular basis.
• 14:24
  Can you give a little bit of, like, how you integrate, like, macro content, commercial level content to the micro content?
• 14:31
  Like, making sure that there's billboards, making sure stuff is going on social, all of that type of stuff for the brand, 'cause I see that in, in your ecosystem as well, and I'd like to kinda, like, break that down.
• 14:42
  Break down what a week or a month looks like for you in, in the types of content and how you're getting those out in time. Yeah. So I mean, you gotta make everything match, right, for it to really s- uh, sell.
• 14:54
  I actually bought gasquatch.com [laughs] just in case, you know, it becomes something. Um, yeah, so I... The good thing is now I have an assistant, and he's able to get the behind-the-scenes footage.
• 15:08
  Now he's in the commercials himself. But, like, we'll break it down, just like what you guys do. You know, you, uh, make it vertical. Remember when vertical was, like, sacrilege? You know, like- I used to despise it.
• 15:20
  I'd be like, "Listen, everyone. This is how you shoot a video" Yeah, anyone shooting. And, like, the mother-in-laws were all like- Mm-hmm... "I like it this way." I was like, "But you can't see anything." Yeah. See?
• 15:30
  And now it's all, it's only this way. How dare you? Oh, that is, that's just unlawful. Now I never flip it. It's like family videos, anything. If it can't fit into this, you know, port- it's not going in.
• 15:40
  [laughs] It's just crazy how, how times have changed. Um, so we just, we cut all that footage. Uh, we make... So we have our main spot, right, the 30-second spot that goes on OTT, on commercials, YouTube, all that.
• 15:53
  And then we have, uh, like a 10 to 15 second spot that, uh, you know, we use for pre-roll or, uh, just kinda to introduce and, and tease out those, uh, the big commercial, right?
• 16:06
  And, uh, with that, with Gasquatch one, I don't know if you guys seen that one. So I had to do the Scooby-Doo reveal, you know? [laughs] We did that, so that's out there as well.
• 16:15
  [laughs] So, so then you're breaking down micro content. What other types of content are you putting out on a regular basis maybe that's not attached to, to that, that you're executing in-house at this point?
• 16:27
  Yeah, so those go as social posts. Um, you know, I'll send it over, and, you know, we'll use it as our ads. And I'll take, uh, frames from the videos, you know, and talk about the Tundra. You know, now on sale.
• 16:40
  Um, look out for Gasquatch. So everything kind of matches the branding for that particular month.
• 16:46
  And, uh, you know, we're getting ready for October, and with that one, it's kind of like we've been doing the, the Halloween zombie commercials since 2017, and there's a storyline to it.
• 16:57
  So whenever we can throw back to it, it, it kinda just builds, uh, the branding, and it gets recognized in the community, right? And people actually anticipate it. "What are you guys doing?"
• 17:07
  You know, I'll, we'll be walking in the showroom and, "What are you guys working on now?" So it's, uh, it's really caught on locally. You know what I love?
• 17:14
  Like- So the ecosystem is essentially, it's centered on this, this 30-second commercial, and then the rest of your ecosystem for a whole month is kind of pulling off- The... and pulling down off of that. Is that right?
• 17:28
  Yeah.
• 17:28
  Like, uh, we'll post those, um, behind-the-scenes stuff as TikTok, you know, and, um, we actually had that little campaign where I, I built a little app and, you know, people voted and, and we got their information.
• 17:41
  And then we said, uh, "We're giving away prizes, so make sure you watch the reveal, you know, who wins, Team Brian or Team Frankie."
• 17:47
  So it's a lot of, uh, things in-house, and oh yeah, I always have to remind everyone, we sell cars here at Valley Hi Toyota. [laughs] So when it comes- You know what I love about this, though? Like... S- sorry, Paul.
• 17:59
  That's all good. I was just thinking, like, I, I think of all of the years in the past where we've all tried to wrap our heads around, "But what does this do?" You know what I mean?
• 18:09
  L- like, and what we're seeing, like, I'm on your YouTube, I'm on the Valley Hi YouTube channel, and what I'm seeing is this is the fulfillment of a-... what we have tried to wrap our heads around for so long, which is,
• 18:22
  you know, people are like, "Okay, we do YouTube videos," but then they only get three views. And it's because your YouTube videos sucked. [laughs] It's because it was a shaky walk-around video.
• 18:35
  And, and then they're like, "Yeah, but we don't, we don't have a, a reason to create better videos." And you're like, "Well, yeah, you do because you're trying to tell a story." Because no one's watching them.
• 18:45
  Nobody, 'cause nobody's watching them. [laughs] I go to your YouTube channel, I'm seeing 1,800 views, 26,000 views, 37,000 views, 12,000 views, and I can't help but think this is exactly what...
• 18:57
  Th- this is the proof point of what we've been trying to explain for years, which is that brand, and when it's aligned in the right ecosystem, wins the day.
• 19:05
  Like, 37,000 people on one video now know that you exist- Mm-hmm...
• 19:11
  who didn't know you existed before, and you spent a crap ton of money, and you're, you're spending a crap ton of money on Facebook ads every single day, when this is gonna be much more memorable and lasting.
• 19:22
  And to your p- Like, something you said earlier, which I thought was super impressive, is that people are coming into the store and they see you,
• 19:31
  and they're like, "Uh, uh, uh, wait, you're the dude from the- "You actually work here"... "You actually work here." [laughs] And I think that's so powerful. "Well, I thought you were taller."
• 19:40
  And I was like, "No, just Todd's short, you know, so it makes me look taller." [laughs] [laughs] But this is perfect for now, right? I mean, 'cause, ah, with no inventory, right, what are they gonna do?
• 19:51
  What can they, they look at? So we kind of built this, you know, through time, and it's kind of taken off on its own. But, um, they can do it. People can do it. And they're like, "Man, you're really creative."
• 20:03
  Well, once you, you get together with a team and a group of people, like I said, ideas just come out. I'm sure you guys come up with ideas all the time. And no one person is, is bigger than, than the other.
• 20:17
  But you just have to be willing to be that, you know, audacious just to try something, right? People have people that in their dealerships that work there that can do miracles with these things, right? Yeah.
• 20:29
  And they can create some major content. So they, they don't have to be like us. Just get going, right? Get started. That's so true. I'm gonna correct you, though. We're just the talent. Somebody else comes...
• 20:41
  I'm just kidding. [laughs] [laughs] That'd be an awesome day. Yeah. It's gonna be a great day. Yeah. I'm just gonna put that right here. [laughs] That'd be an awesome day. So what is... Do you...
• 20:52
  Are you a part of, like, the team that, like, tracks organic webpage views and, and tracks, you know, the effectiveness of the marketing? I'm, I'm unsure of that, actually. Yeah, yeah. I mean, we're- And so-...
• 21:02
  all in on, on this stuff...
• 21:04
  and so have you seen or noticed a measurable difference over the last three years in just organic traffic to the website as a result of, you know, you doing these kind of higher level, broader based, you know, productions?
• 21:17
  Yeah. So we, we try to tie it to our, you know, the sales guys' sourcing. Of course.
• 21:21
  You know, they'll say Brian's face or, you know, they saw a commercial, things like that, um, which is kind of funny 'cause in the dealership they just see me as like, "What the, what the hell does he do?"
• 21:32
  [laughs] But we're do- we're pulling a lot of strings behind the scenes. And, and organically, yeah, we've seen a uptick and, uh, especially when we, when we first come out with, with the spots, right?
• 21:43
  And we kind of tee it up, like, "Get ready. This next one's coming" So, um, we do see the, the, the traffic go up early in the month when it comes to that.
• 21:54
  But also what we, uh, been realizing is that we have to get to the, to the punchline quicker. Like, we were talking about our next commercial and they're like, "Well, what if, um,
• 22:07
  you guys are walking through the dealership and then zombies eventually co- " So we gotta start off quick. You know, you got three seconds to tell that story. So you're talking about the Gasquatch.
• 22:17
  I go, "We gotta say something's going on," so that's why the sign, we had to put the sign in there 'cause, you know, you gotta get people's attention quickly. What was that movie, Zombieland, was it?
• 22:26
  Where they, like, would show you the end, like, the right before the l- like, the last, like, the money scene, and then they would, like, rewind the tape and show how they got there. I think. Was it Zombieland?
• 22:38
  It's everything now, right? It, it might be. I don't know. I don't know. [laughs] I've just got me thinking zombies, and you're like, "How did they get in this scenario?" And then it's like, "Well, let's tell you." Yeah.
• 22:45
  Right? Yeah. Let's tell the story. Let's go back to the beginning. That's interesting, though. I mean, we're seeing that with TikTok especially, right?
• 22:51
  Just micro-content where, you know, it'll be, say, say, for example, a, a chef making a d- a meal, and it shows y- like, he's breaking apart the sandwich.
• 23:02
  And then he's like, "I'm gonna show you how to make this," but the, the video then loops perfectly back around to that point where he's, like, opening up the sandwich again.
• 23:09
  And I think that's so interesting, you know, for, for reshaping how we tell stories, and the fact that, to your point, Brian, you don't need a ton of time to actually set the stage and get people hooked. No.
• 23:21
  We kind of lay it out, like, th- we have this much to, to, um, kind of do the reveal, you know, this much to have the composi- you know, the, the exposition.
• 23:31
  And, and, uh, we got, you know, three sec- two seconds at the end to kind of ta-da it. So, um, but ev- anyone can do it, man. I mean, it's just everyone has ideas. Nobody can. Well, everyone has ideas.
• 23:44
  [laughs] But you know what would be cool? I'm just playing with you. [laughs] No. You know what, what would be cool?
• 23:48
  If the car did this and, you know, it went through the loop, and it went through a red light, and all of a sudden... If you have the idea, you can execute it.
• 23:57
  Well, so how do you handle it when somebody, and, and we're gonna wrap up here in just a second, but how do you handle it when somebody gives you a really bad idea?
• 24:05
  But you gotta kind of- [laughs] You gotta kind of make 'em feel good still. We've all been in that scenario. It's like, "You know what would be awesome?
• 24:11
  If we, like, did this," and they go through this elaborate description of what they think is the best idea ever. And yeah, [laughs] everybody knows that.
• 24:17
  "You know what would be cool, is if we got customers to hold up a blank white sign that said, 'You should be here.'"No, no, no. So [laughs] we might- [laughs]... have explained this to you earlier...
• 24:28
  Cirilo is actually campaigning to stop this in all, uh- Yes... in all commercials. [laughs] It's, it's this new campaign. So how do you, how do you handle that? Give, give us some pro advice. Oh my gosh.
• 24:38
  It's just like, "Just leave it to the experts," right? "Let us handle it." [laughs] But, um- [laughs] That's a very direct way to handle that. No, but w- we all have bad id- like, I- we'll go, like- Absolutely...
• 24:50
  th- this, this last one, um, the zombie one, everyone had, like, three ideas, and everyone's just like... [laughs] Okay. 'Cause we're on a Zoom call- Everybody's like-... and the director- "Okay, okay" [laughs]
• 25:03
  Please somebody save me. But what if- "Okay." "Okay, but what if he ran instead of walked?" "What if it was completely different than that, but [laughs] like, the opposite?" [laughs] Right.
• 25:13
  'Cause that was- I will- I think, I think that that's- What if we took that idea and changed it by 100%?
• 25:17
  [laughs] I think what's interesting, and I think kind of what you're saying without saying it is, like, "Hey, look, our team just comes knowing that-" [coughs] "...
• 25:24
  everybody's gonna have a few ideas, and the idea is that, 'Hey, if someone has the best idea, my idea may not be the worst, or maybe it is, and I just have to kind of live with that.'"
• 25:33
  That, that there's a team, there's a culture mentality that accepts, like, "Hey, look, my idea might be terrible one time, and it might be great the next time, and I just have to be okay with that."
• 25:42
  So it sounds like that's, like, the reason why you're like, "Oh, we just kind of tell 'em it's, you know, leave it to the experts," [laughs]... is because you've created a culture where that's okay. You know? Yeah.
• 25:50
  And I, I think that that's important for people to hear, especially when they're, when they're thinking about pulling together a, a creative team or even a brainstorming team is, like, hey, when you come into this room, your idea may, may sound like the greatest idea or the dumbest idea at any point, and you just have to be okay with that.
• 26:06
  Right. Oh, it, it is crazy, because you're like, "Man, this is gonna be a home run. Everyone's just gonna be like, 'Oh my God, you are a genius.'" And then crickets. He's like, "Zombie." Crickets. He's like, "Aliens."
• 26:20
  [laughs] Yeah. I, but it, the, the cool part, though, is, like, with, with the Gasquatch, like, I just said campfire, and then from there I just, we just went where it was supposed to go. Mm. And it's so great.
• 26:33
  The day that we shot that, I'm like, "Where's the marshmallows? We need marshmallows in this." Yeah, shoot, at least we can get some s'mores out of this. Yeah.
• 26:41
  We held, we held the spot for, like, uh, the shoot for, like, an hour till somebody went to go- To get the marshmallows. You gotta get the marshmallows. That's amazing.
• 26:47
  Well, look, obviously we had so much fun having this conversation. If you haven't already, you have to go to Valley Hi Toyota. Just search it on YouTube. You can go see the full anthology of Brian Ortega's work.
• 26:58
  Brian, thank you so much for sharing some of that enthusiasm and creative energy with us today. On behalf of Michael Cirillo- Okay, so- Okay. Oh, no, we got one. Oh, sorry. Got an idea. No, no, go, go, go.
• 27:09
  You got a- Oh, no, no. It's not- You got a great idea. No, no. Just I, so I, I put all the commercials at brianjortega.com. You know, that way you don't have to, you know, scroll through them- Even better... go by year.
• 27:20
  They're all tallied up. The bloopers, the outtakes. Yeah. You know, everything's all s- laid out. We will link it up- So-... in the show notes. Um, thanks for being with us again today. We're gonna go to Brian, Brian J.
• 27:30
  Ortega? Brian J. Orte- 'cause Brian Ortega is a MMA fighter, and I'm definitely- I understand... not associated with that. I understand. Yeah. 'Cause Paul Daly is a designer in Europe who's really popular, so need the J.
• 27:44
  Wow. Well, on behalf- You need the J... of Brian J. Ortega, Paul J. Daly, Michael, I don't know your middle initial, Cirillo, and Kyle- A... I should know your middle initial, and I just don't. [laughs] That's fair.
• 27:56
  Kyle, I don't know- It's D. Kyle D. Mountsier. [laughs] Thanks for listening to Auto Collabs. We'll see you next time.
• 28:06
  [upbeat music] There's, there's very few people that can get away in this world with, with using words like Gasquatch- [laughs]...
• 28:14
  zombies, and, and f- flying in airplanes on, in front of a green screen, parachuting, you know, y- standing on a bench. Those are things that you don't typically see- While [laughs]... or hear in a podcast.
• 28:29
  Like, it's, uh, the, the... Like, I love how at some point Cirilo, 'cause, 'cause Brian said, "Anybody can do it. Anybody can do it," and kind of jokingly, Cirilo, you were like, "No, they can't." No, they can't.
• 28:41
  [laughs] But- Yeah... but I, so I think there's a balance there, because I think that people can be creative, and you can get a t- team together and do some really- [laughs]... intentional things creatively.
• 28:50
  But I think we just have to say, like, these, these cats, they're on a different planet.
• 28:54
  And, and it's just, it's encouraging to see, like, that's an opportunity that's out there, and kind of get as close as you possibly can from a content creation standpoint to that.
• 29:04
  I was thinking about our conversation with, uh, Nicole Lipkin, and, and there was a piece of that conversation where she was like, "Comparison is actually a thing that we need as human beings."
• 29:16
  And, and I wanna position it that way, because I really do think, no, not everyone can do it to Brian's level. And- Right... like, there is talent, there is skill, there is years of, of being creative.
• 29:30
  And, like, pre-show, he was talking about, or maybe it was right at the beginning, I can't remember, and he was talking about how they used to recreate movies for fun. Like, all of those,
• 29:39
  those exercises growing up, tho- those are building a muscle. And so, no, I actually don't think everyone can do it. But to, to Nicole's point,
• 29:48
  if you're not in that position, and you're self-aware enough to know you can't do that, don't waste time getting discouraged in the comparison. Right. Take an inventory and say, "But what could we do? Like, what is us?"
• 30:00
  Like, "Okay, that's great for them. What could we do?" Because I think to, to that point, there is a lot that they could discover about being creative, even if it's TikToks or short form whatevers.
• 30:11
  Like, just showing the personality of the store, I think is really the, the key that stands out to me. Yeah, you nailed it. I mean, you have to be yourself, and, and obviously very unique personalities.
• 30:19
  Even when we had Nate, uh, Nate Greklich on, right? The, the content that Mohawk Honda, Mohawk Chevrolet makes, it's, it's fun. It's different, right?
• 30:29
  It's different than Brian's, because they're different people, and different personalities, and different markets, and the GM is willing to let them get away with different things, right?
• 30:38
  Because there are also people that make content that's actually pretty buttoned up, but it still really works, right? Yeah.
• 30:44
  So it's not funny, or it's not, like, totally, like, satire or tongue in cheek or anything like that. And so, like, my takeaway from it is just start, right? Everyone's got the capability of starting.
• 30:54
  And, like, I like how you said, Michael, it's, it's a muscle that has to be developed. Like, us recording podcasts like this and being able to turn the mic on and go isn't because we're just inherently great at it.
• 31:03
  It's just because we've spent thousands of hours doing it. You have to start. Right. You have to hit the button.
• 31:08
  Um, we hope that our conversation with Brian inspires you to just hit the record button and make something of your own today, and lean into what makes you uniquely you. And if you need some creative ideas, call Michael.
• 31:19
  He won't laugh at all. So on behalf of Michael Cirillo, Kyle Mountsier, and myself, thank you for listening to the Auto Collabs Podcast.
• 31:27
  Sign up for our free and fun to read daily email for a free shot of relevant news in automotive, retail, media, and pop culture. You can get it now at asotu.com. That's A-S-O-T-U.com.
• 31:39
  If you love this podcast, please leave us a review and share it with a friend. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you next time.
• 31:48
  [upbeat music] Welcome to Auto Collabs. Welcome to Auto Collabs. [laughs] [laughs] Are we recording? [laughs] Are we rolling yet? Not yet