carsales fronts AI voice search in national campaign

carsales has launched a six-week national brand campaign centred on its AI Voice Search feature. Running across Australia during major sporting broadcasts and the end-of-financial-year sales period, the campaign places the in-app, voice-led search tool at the centre of the company's mid-year marketing.

Advertising spans digital, social media, out-of-home and connected TV. The media plan includes contextual placements during live football and rugby broadcasts, localised outdoor ads in selected cities, and creator-led content on TikTok and Instagram.

The campaign comes as the online automotive marketplace points to more cautious consumer behaviour in the car market. Consumer confidence is at its lowest level in more than a decade, according to carsales, while price is now the leading purchase factor for 71% of buyers and 59% are looking to spend under AUD $30,000.

Fuel economy has also become more important, rising to the third most important consideration for buyers. Electric vehicles now account for almost one in two new cars sold nationally, based on figures cited by the company. carsales is using those shifts to frame the campaign around value, affordability and the breadth of vehicle choice on its platform.

Search shift

The advertising uses the line "Hey carsales..." and shows users describing vehicles in everyday language rather than filtering through conventional categories. Examples include searches for "find me a car with a really big boot" and "zippy red hatchbacks under 30k", reflecting what carsales says is a growing preference for more natural search.

More than a third of buyers now use AI to help with their vehicle search, according to carsales, with Gen Z and Millennial consumers leading the trend. Introduced earlier this year, AI Voice Search lets users state their requirements in their own words and receive matching results through the app.

carsales describes the tool as unique among Australian automotive marketplaces. It says the feature draws on its own data and real-time inventory matching to return results quickly, although the campaign focuses less on the underlying mechanics and more on the ease of speaking naturally into the app.

The broader message targets both buyers who know exactly what they want and those at an earlier stage of research. carsales is also using the campaign to highlight its payment product, which it says offers a safer, quicker way for buyers and sellers to complete transactions.

Marketing focus

The media strategy is designed to link car-buying decisions with moments of high audience attention. Sporting coverage and the end-of-financial-year sales period often drive strong consumer engagement, and carsales is using those windows to increase visibility for the voice search tool.

The approach also shows how digital marketplaces are adapting their branding to more conversational forms of search, particularly as AI tools become more familiar to consumers. Rather than promoting the broader marketplace alone, carsales has chosen to make a single product feature the focus of a national campaign.

For the company, that marks a shift in emphasis from inventory scale to how users navigate that inventory. The campaign positions the search experience itself as the point of difference at a time when affordability pressures appear to be shaping how Australians research major purchases.

Rafael Constantinou, EGM - Marketing, Content & Customer at carsales, said the campaign reflects changing search habits and more deliberate buying behaviour.

"The way people search for cars is changing, and we want carsales to continue showing up in the moments and on the platforms that matter most to them. That's why AI Voice Search is central to this campaign - it genuinely makes finding the right car easier, whether you know exactly what you want or you're just starting out. Buyers are being more thoughtful and deliberate with their decisions, and that's exactly when they need to feel confident they'll find the right fit. With a wide range of vehicles and the smart tools to search them, carsales is built for that moment."