eBay Brings Out the Madcap Engineer in All of Us with ‘Mechanic Mindset’ Campaign

It started with a quick jump-start on your drive. Then you fitted your own roof box. Next thing you know, you’re drilling holes in your choux buns with the precision of an F1 engineer. That’s the Mechanic Mindset.

eBay is bringing a fresh voice to its car parts and accessories offering with a new campaign from McCann London. The campaign follows three characters, Sam, Seb, and Toby, as they turn everyday scenarios into an opportunity to showcase their mechanic prowess. 

eBay believes there’s a better way to look after your car. Whether you’re a first-time car owner or a veteran motorhead, you can fix, upgrade, and maintain your vehicle for less with eBay.

In the 30-second hero VOD and four 15-second YouTube ads, we pull the shutters up on three home mechanics with an empowered mindset, using mechanic’s tools to perform everyday tasks: jacking up the sofa to find the remote, buffering bright red welly boots and whacking big rims on a buggy.

The work was directed by Josh Cohen and produced and edited at Craft London. The creative was written and art directed by Richard Morgan and Christopher McKee and produced by Chloe Brown.  

Eve Williams, chief marketing officer, eBay UK, commented: “We’re excited to launch Mechanic Mindset as a celebration of the skill and enthusiasm of eBay’s car parts and accessories buyers. While your first DIY car repair can be daunting, we know from listening to our customers that it’s also extremely satisfying – so it’s brilliant to imagine the community applying their new skills to anything and everything with this campaign! 

Richard Morgan and Christopher McKee, senior creatives at McCann London, said: “With Swarfega stained memories of our own family members, we knew that everyone has at least one relative that’s let their automotive know-how go straight to their noggin. Whether that’s fixing the fuse in a trusty toaster or fashioning a BBQ out of sheet metal. To us, the character was universal, and so, eBay’s ‘Mechanic Mindset’ was born. Their never-ending list of parts and accessories has the power to bring out the resourceful fixer-upper in all of us!