East Coast Car Rentals, Australia’s highest-rated car rental provider, has launched its first-ever national brand awareness campaign, highlighting familiar travel frustrations for Australians – long queues, unexpected fees and complicated rental experiences.
Running from 22 June – 30 September 2026, the campaign will appear nationally across cinema, digital radio, streaming platforms, YouTube, social media and website takeovers.
Developed in partnership with Firme Agency and Frontier Media, the campaign uses humour and relatable travel scenarios and characters to showcase the widely accepted difficulties that Australian travellers go through when renting a vehicle.
Centred around the idea of helping Australians avoid ‘Car RentHell’, the creative focuses on common rental pain points, while reinforcing East Coast’s commitment to getting customers on the road faster and with greater confidence.
Ben Whitmore, CMO at East Coast Car Rentals, says: “The campaign reflects the company’s focus on challenging the industry frustrations travellers have come to expect. At a time when Aussies continue to prioritise travel and getaways despite ongoing pressures, too many still accept long waits, confusing processes and surprise costs as part of hiring a car.
“But it doesn’t have to be that way. By shining a light on these common pain points, we’re showing there’s a better alternative – one built on simplicity, transparency and hassle-free service, so customers can spend less time worrying and more time enjoying their trip.”
Rob Garwood, Creative Director at Firme Agency, said, “Most Aussies have a car hire story, they’ve done time in the queue after a long flight, been stung by fees they didn’t see coming, or tackled a hire process that’s harder than it needs to be. We saw an opportunity to have some fun with those familiar frustrations and Car RentHell was born. While the creative is intentionally over the top, it’s rooted in real experiences -hiring a car should be easy, transparent and stress-free. We built a campaign around it, and the premise ‘If You Like That Kind of Thing’ flips the brief, instead of telling people how good East Coast Car Rentals is, we remind them exactly how bad everywhere else can be. If you like that kind of thing, East Coast Car Rentals isn’t for you. Most people don’t.”
The campaign launch follows a period of significant momentum for the East Coast Car Rentals, including the opening of its flagship Tasmania branch and a growing national footprint. Alongside this, the organisation was named the winner of the 2026 Canstar Blue Customer Satisfaction Award, adding to its sixth consecutive ProductiveReview.com.au Award for Best Direct Car Hire and multiple wins in the 2025 Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards.
These accolades reflect East Coast’s continued investment in delivering a customer-first experience and have helped cement its position as one of Australia’s most trusted direct car hire providers.
